Aerosol bronchodilator delivery methods. Relative impact on pulmonary function and cost of respiratory care.

Thirty-six acutely III, hospitalized patients with acute exacerbations of obstructive airway disease and a greater than 10% increase in forced expiratory volume in 1 s after administration of aerosolized bronchodilator were randomized to receive either metaproterenol sulfate delivered by updraft-compressor nebulization (UDN) or terbutaline sulfate delivered by metered-dose inhaler (MDI) with a spacer. Serial analyses of pulmonary function measurements were performed with the use of 95% confidence intervals for the percentage response ratios of MDI to UDN. The response to MDI was at least equivalent to that of UDN, and MDI use was associated with no prolongation of hospital stay. Equivalent bronchodilation was achieved with MDI therapy with a lower daily charge for therapy for each patient and less respiratory therapist time. In hospitalized bronchodilator-responsive patients with acute exacerbations of obstructive airway disease, the MDI/spacer combination is the preferred approach when the status of the patient allows its use.

36名患有阻塞性气道疾病急性加重且在使用雾化支气管扩张剂后1秒用力呼气量增加大于10%的急性重症住院患者被随机分组，分别接受由向上气流压缩机雾化（UDN）给予的硫酸奥西那林或由带储雾罐的定量吸入器（MDI）给予的硫酸特布他林治疗。使用MDI与UDN的反应率百分比的95%置信区间对肺功能测量进行系列分析。对MDI的反应至少与UDN相当，且使用MDI与住院时间延长无关。通过MDI治疗可实现等效的支气管扩张，每位患者的每日治疗费用更低，且呼吸治疗师花费的时间更少。在患有阻塞性气道疾病急性加重且对支气管扩张剂有反应的住院患者中，当患者状况允许时，MDI/储雾罐组合是首选的治疗方法。