Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/adc.59.7.666 on 1 July 1984. Downloaded from 666 Oates titioner may have to overcome his own disbelief and bruising in 400 normal children with that found in 84 reluctance to become involved and is then faced abused children and showed that the pattern of with trying to establish the diagnosis in the face of bruising was different in the two groups, with parents who may be uncooperative or untruthful. injuries to the head, face, and lumbar region being Other factors adding to the difficulty in reaching a much more common in the abused group. diagnosis may include a concern about the confiden- Although this information is useful, the ultimate tiality of the doctor-patient relationship on the one diagnosis depends on a combination of history, hand and some anxiety about potential professional physical findings, evaluation of the parents, and the and even public castigation should a case be missed. practitioner's own experience and acumen. Un- There may also be guidelines or statutory require- doubtedly, many instances of child abuse still go ments which outline the steps necessary for the unrecognised but these three cases emphasise the diagnosis and subsequent registration of child abuse important role and responsibility of the paediatri- cases. In New South Wales, the 1977 amendment to cian not only in being aware of the clinical features the Child Welfare Act requires doctors to notify the of child abuse, but also in conducting a careful Department of Youth and Community Services medical, in addition to a social, investigation of each whenever they have reasonable grounds to suspect case. child abuse. Any member of the public may also make a notification. On receipt of a notification References social workers from the department investigate the Anonymous. Child abuse: the swing of the pendulum lEdi- circumstances of the injury, seeking expert medical torial]. Br Med J 1981;283:170. advice at times, before deciding whether to register 2 Tulloch AL. Gangrene of the digits of an infant caused by nylon the case. Apart from the mandatory notification for mittens. Med J Aust 1973-2:501-2. doctors, the United Kingdom guidelines for the 3 Schmitt BD. The child with non-accidental trauma. In: Kempe CH, Helfer RE, eds. The battered child. 3rd ed. registration of child abuse are similar in that they Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980:128-46. emphasise the requirement for medical and social 4 Steele BF, Pollock CD. A psychiatric study of parents who investigation before the diagnosis may be made. abuse infants and small children. In: Helfer RE, Kempe CH, texts the eds. The battered child. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago As well as the standard describing Press, 1974:89-133. typical injuries of abused children3 and the charac- 5 Helfer RE, Slovis TL, Black M. Injuries resulting when small teristics of their parents,4 some work has been done children fall out of bed. Pediatrics 1977;60:533-5. in finding ways of differentiating accidental from 6 Roberton DM, Barbor P, Hull D. Unusual injury? Recent 5 injury in normal children and children with suspected non- non-accidental injury. Helfer et al studied 246 http://adc.bmj.com/ children aged under 5 years who fell out of bed and accidental injury. Br Med J 1982;285:1399-401. found that none had sustained serious injury, the Correspondence to Dr R K Oates, Royal Alexandra Hospital for implication being that severe injuries which are said Children, Camperdown NSW 2050, Australia. to be from falling out of bed should be regarded with suspicion. Roberton et al,6 compared the pattern of Received 5 March 1984 on September 27, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. Adrenaline and nebulized salbutamol in acute asthma M TURPEINEN, J KUOKKANEN, AND A BACKMAN Allergy Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, University Central Hospital of Helsinki, Finland Although adrenaline is still frequently used for the SUMMARY The effects of injected adrenaline and treatment of acute asthma in children, the short nebulized salbutamol on acute asthma were com- duration of its bronchodilatory effect and the pain of pared in 46 children. The results showed that injection are definite disadvantages. Its use is salbutamol had a significantly better bronchodila- further restricted by the increased heart rate caused tory effect than adrenaline. Nebulized salbutamol is by beta1stimulation. Selective beta2agonists have a recommended as a primary method of treatment of good bronchodilatory effect with minimal side asthmatic attacks in childhood. effects;' the bronchodilatory effect is even greater if the drug is inhaled into the lungs.2 3 In this study we Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/adc.59.7.666 on 1 July 1984. Downloaded from Adrenaline and nebulized salbutamol in acute asthmla 667 have compared the effects of injected adrenaline l-- and nebulized salbutamol on acute asthma in |Salbutamol group children. Salbutamol has recently been shown in a .10 Adrencdine group| similar study to be as effective as adrenaline.4 Patients and methods Forty six children attending clinic because of acute asthma were entered into the study. The children _50 were randomised into two groups-20 children (6 girls and 14 boys) of age, mean (SD) 11-2 (1-8) years ?L 0 were treated with adrenaline (10 ,ug/kg im) and 26 (11 girls and 15 boys) age mean (SD) 11-4 (2-1) x4' - years were treated with salbutamol (0-15 mg/kg). The adrenaline dose was reduced to 6 sg/kg and the I- salbutamol dose to 0-075 mg/kg if the child had 0 10 20 received sympathomimetic drugs in the 8 hour Time (minutes) period before coming to the clinic. Salbutamol, Figure The effect of treatment ofasthmatic attack with diluted with physiologic saline to 2 ml, was adminis- injected adrenaline or inhaled salbutamol on peak tered by face mask and compressor nebulizer (Spira, expiratory flow rate. Module 2; Hameenlinnan Tyokeskus, Finland) using an airflow rate of 7 litres/minute over 5 to expiratory flow was greater for children treated with 10 minutes. Before the treatment and 10 and 30 salbutamol than for those given adrenaline. The minutes afterwards the following measurements difference was highly significant at 10 minutes were made; peak expiratory flow, respiratory rate, (P<0-001) and significant (P<0-002) at 30 minutes. blood pressure, and heart rate. To obtain reliable Nine patients (45%) in the adrenaline group and peak expiratory flow values only children aged 7 five (19%) in the salbutamol group were admitted to years or more were included in the study. The hospital and among these the mean peak expiratory clinical condition of 14 patients was considered flow values were less than 50% of predicted. In sufficiently serious to require admission to hospital those children allowed to return home the mean after the initial treatment. values were over 50% in both treatment groups http://adc.bmj.com/ (Table). There were no significant changes in Results respiratory rate, blood pressure, and pulse rate in either group. Muscle tremor occurred in five chil- The absolute peak expiratory flow value was con- dren in the adrenaline group and in two children in verted to a percentage of the predicted normal the salbutamol group. value using a nomogram.5 Before treatment there was no significant difference in the mean values Discussion between the groups. Peak expiratory flow rates on September 27, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. expressed as a percentage of normal predicted The results show that both injected adrenaline and values of treatment and 10 and 30 minutes after- inhaled salbutamol have a good bronchodilatory wards are shown in the Figure; in both groups the effect on acute asthma in children aged 7 years or improvement was highly significant at both 10 and older. Salbutamol was significantly more effective 30 minutes after treatment. The average improve- than adrenaline both at 10 and 30 minutes after ment expressed as a percentage change in peak treatment. The superiority of salbutamol over adre- Table Peak expiratoryflow expressed as a percentage ofthe predicted normal value in asthmatic children adtmitted to hospital and in those allowed to return home Tr-eaueul with/ aild etnaline Tr(ete(d wit/itli salbutatuiol Home Ho.spital Home1(u HIospunitl No I1 9 21 5 At treatment (mean (SD)) 45 (15.1) 28 (13-1) 381- (12*6) 17-2 (5-I) 10 minutes aifter treaitment (meian (SD)) 66-5 (14 6) 39-9 (26-2) 72-4 (1895) 61-8 (13 0) 3(0 minutes after treatment (mean (SD)) 67-2 (16-2) 33 5 (17-0) 76-2 ('04) 46.7 ('l48) Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/adc.59.7.666 on 1 July 1984. Downloaded from 668 Turpeinen, Kuokkanen, and Baclckman naline may also be seen in the number of patients 3 Thiringer G. Svedimlvr N. Comparison of infused and inhalled subsequently needing hospital treatment. The salbu- terbutailine in patients with asthma. Scoadiniavian Joorool oJ Respiratorv D)iseases 1976;57:17-24 tamol doses used in this study seemed to be 4 Beckcr A. Nclson N. Siinons F. Inhailcd salbutarnol vs injectcd safe-there were no cardiovascular side effects and epinephrine in the treatment of acutc asthma in children. muscular tremor occurred in only two out of 26 J Pedi(atr 1983;t102:465-9. children. Inhaled salbutamol seems to be the treat- Wcng TR. Lcvison 11. Standards of pulmonary functionl in ment of choice in childhood asthmatic attacks. childrcin. Atn Ret' Respir Dis 1969:99:879. References Corrcspondcncc to Dr Markku Turpcincn. Allcrgy Hospital. Univcrsity Ccntrail Hospital of Hclsinki. Mcilalhdncrtitc 2. 0)025 Norn S.