A double-blind trial of salmefanol, a new bronchodilator.

Salmefamol is a new sympathomimetic drug with predominantly β actions. In a double-blind trial in a group of twenty-four patients with airway obstruction, we have compared the effect of 100 μg of salmefamol given by metered aerosol with that of a placebo aerosol. In the same patients we have also compared the aerosols with subcutaneous adrenaline and subcutaneous atropine, the sequence of treatments being determined by a latin square design. At all times salmefamol had a significantly greater bronchodilator effect than the placebo. Although the effects of atropine and adrenaline were greater at the earlier times of measurement, that of salmefamol was greater at 4 hr.