Levalbuterol Compared to Albuterol Regarding Cardiac Side Effects and Potassium Lowering Effects.
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2021-12-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Hyperkalemia is a common life-threatening electrolyte disturbance which may impair cardiac
and many other organs' functions. Unfortunately, a well-established guideline for the
treatment of hyperkalemia in the emergency setting is still missing. However, the last
"Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO)" conference proposed a treatment protocol
for hyperkalemia and addressed controversies in this matter. Beta2-agonists were one of the
main lines in the approach towards managing a patient with hyperkalemia. However, this
evidence was only available for racemic albuterol.
Levalbuterol is the isolated R-enantiomer of racemic albuterol which is comprised of S- and
R-enantiomers. Several lab and clinical studies have assessed the effect, affinity, and
selectivity of each of the enantiomers. Few studies in medical literature have compared the
difference between these two drugs regarding cardiac effects with inconclusive results, and
even fewer studies have compared the efficacies of these two drugs regarding potassium
lowering effect.
To the investigators' knowledge, no study to date has compared the efficacy and safety of
albuterol compared to levalbuterol in hyperkalemic patients with the properly adjusted
dosing. So, in clinical practice, the investigators wanted to know based on evidence if
levalbuterol can be an effective substitute for albuterol in lowering potassium levels in
hyperkalemia patients while yielding fewer cardiac side effects. To answer this question, the
investigators designed a single-centered controlled clinical trial that includes adult
hyperkalemia patients in Aleppo University Hospital.