Fenoterol is a short-acting β₂ agonist that also stimulates β₁ receptors.
Fenoterol has more cardiovascular toxicity than isoprenaline or salbutamol.
Fenoterol was widely used in New Zealand in the late 1970s and the 1980s until it was removed from the New Zealand drug tariff in 1989 because its introduction and widespread use was associated with an epidemic of asthma deaths.
A series of case-control studies demonstrated that asthmatics using fenoterol were more likely to die of asthma compared with controls treated with alternative beta agonists; this risk of asthma deaths was particularly high in severe asthmatics.
The mortality rate declined following withdrawal of fenoterol  without evidence supporting an alternative explanation for the abrupt rise and fall in asthma deaths.
Data did not support confounding by severity as the explanation for the excess mortality.
There are alternative short-acting beta agonists that have not been associated with increased mortality e.g. salbutamol.
Fenoterol is a short-acting β₂ agonist that also stimulates β₁ receptors. Fenoterol has more cardiovascular toxicity than isoprenaline or salbutamol. Fenoterol was widely used in New Zealand in the late 1970s and the 1980s until it was removed from the New Zealand drug tariff in 1989 because its introduction and widespread use was associated with an epidemic of asthma deaths. A series of case-control studies demonstrated that asthmatics using fenoterol were more likely to die of asthma compared with controls treated with alternative beta agonists; this risk of asthma deaths was particularly high in severe asthmatics. The mortality rate declined following withdrawal of fenoterol  without evidence supporting an alternative explanation for the abrupt rise and fall in asthma deaths. Data did not support confounding by severity as the explanation for the excess mortality. There are alternative short-acting beta agonists that have not been associated with increased mortality e.g. salbutamol.
Fenoterol