The therapist is asked to recommend a quick-onset, long-acting beta-2 agonist to be added to the inhaled corticosteroid for a patient with asthma. Which of the following medications should the therapist recommend?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Salmeterol and formoterol are long-acting inhaled beta-2 agonists (LABAs) available in the United States. Formoterol is available in a dry powder inhaler device alone and as combination therapy and most recently in a liquid form for nebulization. The biggest difference between the two long-acting bronchodilators is their onset of action. Salmeterol can take from 30 to 90 minutes to have peak effect while formoterol begins to work in 3 to 5 minutes.

The Therapist Is Asked to Recommend a Quick-Onset, Long-Acting Beta-2