Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Fenoterol
Introduction
Fenoterol is an asthma medication designed to open up the airways to the lungs. It is classed as a beta agonist.
It was a long-acting beta-agonist widely used in New Zealand in the early 1990s but withdrawn because of its association with an excess number of deaths.
References
- Beasley R, Pearce N, Crane J, Burgess C. Withdrawal of fenoterol and the end of the New Zealand asthma mortality epidemic. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 1995 May-Jun;107(1-3):325-7.
- Spitzer WO, Suissa S, Ernst P, Horwitz RI, Habbick B, Cockcroft D, et al. The use of beta-agonists and the risk of death and near death from asthma. N Engl J Med. 1992 Feb 20, 1992;326(8):501-6.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]