UNCOMPLICATED PREMATURE LABOUR BETWEEN 24 - 33 WKS OF GESTATION: BY INTRAVENOUS INFUSION, 5 MICROGRAMS/MINUTE FOR 20 MINUTES, INCREASED EVERY 20 MINUTES IN STEPS OF 2.5 MICROGRAMS/MINUTE UNTIL CONTRACTIONS HAVE CEASED (MORE THAN 10 MICROGRAMS/MINUTE SHOULD SELDOM BE GIVEN - 20 MICROGRAMS/MINUTE SHOULD NOT BE EXCEEDED), CONTINUE FOR 1 HOUR THEN DECREASE EVERY 20 MINUTES IN STEPS OF 2.5 MICROGRAMS/MINUTE TO LOWEST DOSE THAT MAINTAINS SUPPRESSION, CONTINUE AT THIS LEVEL FOR 12 HOURS THEN BY MOUTH, 5 MG EVERY 8 HOURS FOR AS LONG AS IS DESIRABLE TO PROLONG PREGNANCY (OR ALTERNATIVELY FOLLOW THE INTRAVENOUS INFUSION BY SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION 250 MICROGRAMS EVERY 6 HOURS FOR A FEW DAYS THEN BY MOUTH AS ABOVE)
PROLONGED THERAPY SHOULD BE AVOIDED SINCE RISK TO THE MOTHER INCREASES AFTER 48 HOURS AND THERE IS A LACK OF EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT FROM FURTHER TREATMENT; MAINTENANCE TREATMENT IS THEREFORE NOT RECOMMENDED.
BRONCHIAL ASTHMA : BY MOUTH (BUT USE BY INHALATION PREFERRED), INITIALLY 2.5 MG 3 TIMES DAILY FOR 1 - 2 WEEKS, THEN UP TO 5 MG 3 TIMES DAILY
CHILD 1 MONTH - 7 YEARS 75 MICROGRAMS/KG 3 TIMES DAILY; 7 - 15 YEARS 2.5 MG 2 - 3 TIMES DAILY
BY SUBCUTANEOUS, INTRAMUSCULAR, OR SLOW INTRAVENOUS INJECTION, 250 - 500 MICROGRAMS UP TO 4 TIMES DAILY; CHILD 2 - 15 YEARS 10 MICROGRAMS/KG TO A MAX. OF 300 MICROGRAMS
BY CONTINUOUS INTRAVENOUS INFUSION AS A SOLUTION CONTAINING 3 - 5 MICROGRAMS/ML, 90 - 300 MICROGRAMS/HOUR FOR 8 - 10 HOURS; CHILD 1 MONTH - 18 YEARS, INITIALLY 2 - 4 MICROGRAMS/KG AS A LOADING DOSE, THEN 1 - 10 MICROGRAMS/KG/HOUR ACCORDING TO RESPONSE AND HEART RATE (MAX. 300 MICROGRAMS/HOUR); HIGH DOSES WITH CLOSE MONITORING
BY INHALATION OF POWDER (TURBOHALER®), 500 MICROGRAMS (1 INHALATION); FOR PERSISTENT SYMPTOMS UP TO 4 TIMES DAILY (BUT SEE ALSO CHRONIC ASTHMA TABLE); CHILD UNDER 5 YEARS NOT RECOMMENDED
BY INHALATION OF NEBULISED SOLUTION, 5 - 10 MG 2 - 4 TIMES DAILY; ADDITIONAL DOSES MAY BE NECESSARY IN SEVERE ACUTE ASTHMA; CHILD, UP TO 3 YEARS 2 MG, 3 - 6 YEARS 3 MG; 6 - 8 YEARS 4 MG, OVER 8 YEARS 5 MG, 2 - 4 TIMES DAILY