Effect of procaterol on arterial blood gas in asthmatic children.

We determined changes in arterial blood gas after the inhalation of procaterol, a highly beta 2-selective and long-acting adrenergic agonist, in 11 asthmatic children. Seven of the patients, with a maximum fall of 14 mmHg (63.6%), showed a decrease in PaO2 (mean +/- SD = -7.