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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Can pulmicort be mixed with albuterol?

Your humble question:  Is a prescription for a nebulizer needed?

My humble answer:  Yes.  You will have to discuss with your doctor whether you need one or not, and he'll have to write a prescription.

Your humble answer:   Can pulmicort be mixed with albuterol?

My humble answer
It can be given with Albuterol.  Where I work we mix it with Albuterol most of the time.  However, some hospital policies recommend the medicines not be mixed for whatever reason.  I do know that if you mix it with Atrovent (or Duoneb) the medicine suds up, however it still works.  If during the course of your research you learn anything new let us know.  Thanks. 

9 comments:

T-County Watch said...

I work at a few different Hospitals and Pulmicort is given separate and even has it's own nebulizer to be given in. I will have to look at why we do that.

Rick Frea said...

Other RTs from around here say the same thing. Be neat to get some "scientific proof" either way." Thanks.

Anonymous said...

At the hospital I work at we do not mix them. We send all the Albuterol to the right lung, and all the Pulmicort to the left lung.

Rick Frea said...

Just when I needed a good laugh I got one.

Anonymous said...

See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21255509

Anonymous said...

Seehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21255509

Rick Frea said...

Awesome, thanks for the link

Anonymous said...

So we never got a difinitive answer to the question?

Rick Frea said...

Science proved during the early 19th century that two solubles, when mixed together, retain their same qualities when turned into an aerosol or mist. Therefore, any two respiratory medicines can be mixed in a cup and maintain their natural structure. Anyone who tells you otherwise is incorrect. This includes Albuterol, Atrovent, Mucomyst, Atropine, Xopenex, Pulmicort, etc. There is no need to run any of these medicines separately. Period. Hospital policies that state otherwise are based on speculation and not science.