Subcutaneous terbutaline in children with chronic severe asthma.

A continuous subcutaneous infusion of terbutaline (CSIT) was used to treat 8 children with chronic severe asthma who continued to experience frequent symptoms, despite treatment with regular oral prednisolone. Five patients experienced a symptomatic improvement from CSIT, leading to a reduction in regular medication. Three patients did not experience any lasting benefit from CSIT. The most common side effects were related to the infusion site (bruising and local infection). CSIT may lead to an improvement in symptoms and a reduction in oral steroid dose in selected children with chronic severe asthma. These initial findings support the need for further controlled studies to evaluate the use of CSIT in severe childhood asthma.