1 Department of Paediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver 8, Canada
We agree with Drs. Leifer and Wittig that adrenergic aerosols, properly administered, are an aid to some asthmatics and should not be denied to them. Nonetheless, these inhalers do appear to be dangerous if they are overused, and this is particularly so of the ones that contain isoproterenol.
The suspicion of Greenberg and Pines that large doses of inhaled isoproterenol aerosol cause fatal cardiac arrythmia in some asthmatics seems justified. The increase in death rate in England was highest in the 10- to 14-year age group.