Corticosteroids and Inhaled Salbutamol in Patients with Reversible Airway Obstruction Markedly Decrease the Incidence of Bronchospasm after Tracheal Intubation

: Pretreatment with either salbutamol alone or salbutamol combined with methylprednisolone significantly and similarly improves lung function within 1 day. However, only combined salbutamol-methylprednisolone pretreatment decreases the incidence of wheezing after tracheal intubation. Therefore, in patients with bronchial hyperreactivity, preoperative treatment with combined corticosteroids and salbutamol minimizes intubation-evoked bronchoconstriction much more effectively than the inhaled beta2-sympathomimetic salbutamol alone.