Pharmacokinetics of inhaled salbutamol in patients with cystic fibrosis versus healthy young adults.

We studied the disposition of inhaled salbutamol in adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) and compared it with the pharmacokinetics of the drug given by the intravenous and inhaled routes in healthy adults. After inhalation of salbutamol, CF patients had a significantly larger area under the concentration-time curve derived from amounts of drug in the systemic circulation. The differences in serum concentration of salbutamol were not reflected in differences in change of heart rate. We conclude that the rate and extent of pulmonary absorption of inhaled salbutamol in patients with CF differ from those in healthy adults.