Ventricular arrhythmias during treatment for acute asthma.

A double-blind, randomized study was performed to determine the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias in acute asthma patients treated with epinephrine, aminophylline, or both in combination. Sixty patients were studied with Holter monitoring during the 90-minute study period. There was no statistical difference among the study groups in frequency or grade of ventricular arrhythmia. Combination treatment of acute asthma with these drugs is as safe as treatment with either alone.