Terbutaline

General

• Type: Beta 2 agonist
• Dosage Forms: 1mg/mL injection

Adult Dosing

Preterm labor

• 0.25mg sq q20-30 min, up to 4 doses PRN contractions

Asthma/Bronchoconstriction

• 0.25mg sq q20 min, up to 3 doses

Pediatric Dosing

Asthma/Bronchoconstriction

• 0.005-0.01mg/kg to max 0.4mg SQ q15-20 min, up to 3 doses; may repeat in 2-6 hours

Special Populations

• Pregnancy Rating: Category C
• Lactation: Not recommended
• Renal Dosing: n/a
• Hepatic Dosing: n/a

Contraindications

• Allergy to class/drug

Adverse Reactions

Serious

• Black box warning against prolonged use for tocolysis (>48-72 hrs)
• Cardiac arrhythmia

Common

• Agitation, tremor, hyperglycemia, hypokalemia

Pharmacology

• Onset: 6-15 minutes
• Half-life: 11-16 hours
• Metabolism: Hepatic
• Excretion: Urine
• Mechanism of Action: Beta 2 agonist, smooth muscle relaxant

Indications by Condition

The following table is automatically generated from disease/condition pages across WikEM.

Indication	Dose	Context	Route	Population
Acute asthma exacerbation	0.25 mg SC/IM q20min x3	Beta-2 agonist (longer-acting)	SC/IM	Adult
Preterm labor	0.25mg SC q20-30min up to 4 doses PRN	Tocolytic	SC	Adult
Priapism	0.25-0.5 mg SQ or 5-10 mg PO	Beta-agonist (adjunct)	SQ/PO	Adult

See Also

Asthma, Preterm Labor

References

Lexicomp