Terbutaline

General

Adult Dosing

Preterm labor

  • 0.25mg sq q20-30 min, up to 4 doses PRN contractions

Asthma/Bronchoconstriction

  • 0.25mg sq q20 min, up to 3 doses

Pediatric Dosing

Asthma/Bronchoconstriction

  • 0.005-0.01mg/kg to max 0.4mg SQ q15-20 min, up to 3 doses; may repeat in 2-6 hours

Special Populations

  • Pregnancy Rating: Category C
  • Lactation: Not recommended
  • Renal Dosing: n/a
  • Hepatic Dosing: n/a

Contraindications

  • Allergy to class/drug

Adverse Reactions

Serious

  • Black box warning against prolonged use for tocolysis (>48-72 hrs)
  • Cardiac arrhythmia

Common

  • Agitation, tremor, hyperglycemia, hypokalemia

Pharmacology

  • Onset: 6-15 minutes
  • Half-life: 11-16 hours
  • Metabolism: Hepatic
  • Excretion: Urine
  • Mechanism of Action: Beta 2 agonist, smooth muscle relaxant

See Also

Asthma, Preterm Labor

References

Lexicomp