What are expected side effects of albuterol?

What are expected side effects of albuterol?

• A. Hypotension and bradycardia
• B. Nausea and vomiting
• C. Tachycardia, palpitations, and tremors
• D. Dizziness

Answer: (C)

Albuterol is a short-acting beta-adrenergic agonist, so its effects mirror sympathetic stimulation. The most common and expected side effects come from this activation: a faster heart rate (tachycardia), a sense of fluttering or palpitations, and tremors in the hands or body. These occur because beta-2 stimulation relaxes airway smooth muscle for bronchodilation, but there can be some spillover to the heart (beta-1 activity) and skeletal muscles, leading to tachycardia and tremors. The effects are typically dose-related and transient. Other options don’t fit as well because hypotension and bradycardia aren’t typical with albuterol, which tends to raise heart rate; nausea, vomiting, or dizziness can occur but are not as characteristic as the classic tachycardia, palpitations, and tremors.

Albuterol is a short-acting beta-adrenergic agonist, so its effects mirror sympathetic stimulation. The most common and expected side effects come from this activation: a faster heart rate (tachycardia), a sense of fluttering or palpitations, and tremors in the hands or body. These occur because beta-2 stimulation relaxes airway smooth muscle for bronchodilation, but there can be some spillover to the heart (beta-1 activity) and skeletal muscles, leading to tachycardia and tremors. The effects are typically dose-related and transient.

Other options don’t fit as well because hypotension and bradycardia aren’t typical with albuterol, which tends to raise heart rate; nausea, vomiting, or dizziness can occur but are not as characteristic as the classic tachycardia, palpitations, and tremors.