Empirical data from physician observation indicates an increase in serum lactate in acute asthmatic patients being treated with inhaled albuterol therapy.

It is not clear if this increased serum lactate is in response to a physiological response to the asthmatic process or from the albuterol treatment.

This study is designed to determine if administration of inhaled albuterol increases serum lactate in healthy subjects.

Approximately 30 healthy volunteers will be randomized to Albuterol or placebo. We powered our study to detect a difference of 0.5 mmol/L, but hypothesize that the difference will be greater than 1.0 mmol/L.

All volunteer subjects will sign a written consent, approved by the Institutional Review Board. The intended pool of volunteers will be from residents, attendings, and medical students in the hospital. The consent form will clearly specify that their participation in the study will not impact their academic status or employment.

The subjects randomized to the Albuterol arm will receive a one hour 10 mg continuous Albuterol nebulizer treatment. Those randomized to placebo will receive a one-hour saline nebulizer treatment. The chief pharmacist for the study will randomly assign a number between one and thirty to fifteen Albuterol treatments and fifteen placebo treatments.

Subjects will be monitored with cardiac monitor and serum lactate levels will be drawn every 15 minutes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant
• Prisoner
• beta agonist allergy
• hypokalemia
• taking furosemide, insulin, thiazide diuretics, metformin or acetazolamide
• coronary artery disease
• hyperthyroidism
• abnormal heart rhythm
• baseline serum lactate level >2.2 mmol/L
• baseline heart rate > 120

No IPD will be shared.