Inhalation decongestant
Eucalyptus with menthol
Brand names: Vicks, Karvol
Adult dose
Dose: Inhalation 5–15 drops in hot (not boiling) water as required
Route: Inhalation
Frequency: PRN
Clinical pearls
- Symptomatic relief in catarrh; weak evidence base
Contraindications
- Avoid direct application to face in infants/young children (laryngospasm risk)
Side effects
- Local irritation
Reference: BNF; https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/eucalyptus-with-menthol/. Verify against your local formulary and the latest BNF before prescribing.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Pathways
- Acute Asthma in Adults · BTS/SIGN British Guideline on Asthma 2019; NICE NG80
- Pulmonary Embolism Assessment · NICE NG158; ESC 2019 PE Guidelines
- Acute Exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) · NICE NG115; GOLD 2024
- Spontaneous Pneumothorax (Adult) · BTS Pleural Disease 2023
- Atypical Pneumonia (Legionella / Mycoplasma / Chlamydophila) · BTS 2023; IDSA
- COPD Exacerbation Management · NICE NG115 / GOLD 2024