Rethinking Albuterol: Professor Wins $50,000 Grant to Improve How Hospitals Use a Common Breathing Treatment

Short-acting bronchodilators, such as albuterol, are a common type of medication prescribed to patients experiencing acute airway obstruction caused by conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. These drugs relax the airway, making it easier for patients to breathe.

However, these medications aren’t always effective when administered by scheduled doses in hospital — and they can cause significant side effects, such as tremors, headaches and increased heart rate. 

Respiratory Care Professor Ruben Restrepo, MD, RRT, NPS, FAARC, FPPC. wants to change that. This summer, he was awarded a $50,000 Vision Grant from the American Association for Respiratory Care to conduct a quality improvement research study to optimize the administration of bronchodilators in hospital patients. 

Ultimately, he aims to create a standardized, respiratory-therapist driven protocol to identify patients who aren’t responding sufficiently to scheduled doses and alert physicians who could then change their treatment plan.

“Albuterol is a powerful and valuable medication, but it isn’t always the right choice,” Restrepo said. “We may be overusing it, and our goal is to make sure patients get the right treatment at the right time.”

In addition to reducing side effects, optimizing albuterol administration also would reduce costs, he added.

Creating a standardized protocol

The goal of the study is to develop a standardized protocol to be integrated into standard respiratory care practice. The protocol would compare a patient’s breathing at baseline and post-albuterol treatment using peak flow measurement, which shows how well patients can exhale air from their lungs. Respiratory therapists would alert physicians when patients show less than a 15% improvement, which could lead to an adjustment in dosage, discontinuation of medication or alternative therapies. 

The 12-month study will also evaluate the protocol’s impact on patient length of stay in hospital and complications. Restrepo is collaborating with Michael Jones, RRT, director of the Respiratory Care Department and Melissa Alvarez, RRT, senior educator, at University Hospital. The project is expected to begin in early 2026.

“I’m excited that our department has received this award,” Restrepo said. “This project is about making care more precise, more effective, and ultimately better for patients.”