Nebulization with saline solution, although commonly used to alleviate respiratory symptoms, particularly in children, is often questioned concerning its effectiveness. In this study, we investigated the effects of isotonic saline nebulization on lung function in 40 children (mean age of 14±1 years) suffering from different types of airway disorders. Measurements were carried out directly before and up to 15 min after nebulization, for six days in a row, always on the same day time in the morning. The children were divided into two study groups according to the baseline ratio of forced expired volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC), below and above 80 %. We found significant improvements after saline nebulization in FEV1, mid-expiratory flow at 50 % and 75 % of FVC (MEF50 and MEF75), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) in the group with the baseline FEV1/FVC less than 80 %. In contradistinction, children with an index greater than 80 % displayed no appreciable changes in the lung function variables when compared with the baseline level before saline nebulization. We conclude that isotonic saline nebulization might mitigate the functional signs of threatening pulmonary obstruction and as such may be clinically useful in pediatric patients with mild respiratory problems.

Student Scientific Organization for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the Department and Clinic of Geriatrics Wroclaw Medical University Wrocław

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Al GHOBAIN M. The effect of obesity on spirometry tests among healthy non-smoking adults. BMC Pulm Med. 2012;12:10. doi: 10.1186/1471-2466-12-10. PubMed DOI PMC

CHADWICK SL, MOSS SJ, BOTT J, GEDDES DM, ALTON EWFW. Effect of hypertonic saline, isotonic saline and water challenges on the airways of cystic fibrosis patients. Thorax. 1997;52(Suppl 6):A43.

ELKINS MR, ROBINSON M, ROSE BR, HARBOUR C, MORIARTY CP, MARKS GB, BELOUSOVA EG, XUAN W, BYE PT. National Hypertonic Saline in Cystic Fibrosis (NHSCF) Study Group: A controlled trial of long-term inhaled hypertonic saline in patients with cystic fibrosis. N Engl J Med. 2006;354:229–240. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa043900. PubMed DOI

GHABASHI AE, IQBAL M. Obesity and its correlation with spirometric variables in patients with asthma. MedGenMed. 2006;8:58. PubMed PMC

GUDMUNDSSON G, CERVENY M, SHASBY DM. Spirometric values in obese individuals: effects of body position. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1997;156:998–999. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.156.3.9609089. PubMed DOI

HASSAN S, GONZALEZ A, DEMISSIE S, MORAWAKKORALAGE K, JAMES P. Nebulized normal saline solution for treatment of bronchial asthma exacerbations and bronchiolitis: not standard of care. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2018;57:1582–1587. doi: 10.1177/0009922818796657. PubMed DOI

KHAN AY, O’DRISCOLL BR. Is nebulized saline a placebo in COPD? BMC Pulm Med. 2004;4:9. doi: 10.1186/1471-2466-4-9. PubMed DOI PMC

KAROLEWICZ B, PLUTA J, HAZNAR D. Nebulization as a method of drugs administration. Farm Pol. 2009;65:291–304.

MAINZ JG, SCHUMACHER U, SCHÄDLICH K, HENTSCHEL J, KOITSCHEV C, KOITSCHEV A, RIETHMÜLLER J, PRENZEL F, SOMMERBURG O, WIEDEMANN B, STAAB D, GLEIBER W, FISCHER R, BECK JF, ARNOLD C, Cooperatorsl Sino nasal inhalation of isotonic versus hypertonic saline (6.0%) in CF patients with chronic rhinosinusitis - results of a multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. J Cyst Fibros. 2016;15:e57–e66. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2016.05.003. PubMed DOI

MILLER MR, CRAPO R, HANKINSON J, BRUSASCO V, BURGOS F, CASABURI R, COATES A, ENRIGHT P, van der GRINTEN CP, GUSTAFSSON P, JENSEN R, JOHNSON DC, MacINTYRE N, McKAY R, NAVAJAS D, PEDERSEN OF, PELLEGRINO R, VIEGI G, WANGER J ATS/ERS Task Force. General considerations for lung function testing. Eur Respir J. 2005;26:153–161. doi: 10.1183/09031936.05.00034505. PubMed DOI

POOLE PJ, BRODIE SM, STEWART JM, BLACK PN. The effects of nebulised isotonic saline and terbutaline on breathlessness in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Aust N Z J Med. 1998;28:322–326. doi: 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1998.tb01956.x. PubMed DOI

QUANJER PH, STOCKS J, POLGAR G, WISE M, KARLBERG J, BORSBOOM G. Compilation of reference values for lung function measurements in children. Eur Respir J Suppl. 1989;4:1845–2615. PubMed

QUANJER PH, STANOJEVIC S, STOCKS J, HALL GL, PRASAD KVV, COLE TJ, ROSENTHAL M, PEREZ-PADILLA R, HANKINSON JL, FALASCHETTI E, GOLSHAN M, BRUNEKREEF B, AL-RAWAS O, KÜHR J, TRABELSI Y, IPMSM on behalf of the Global Lungs Initiative. Changes in the FEV1/FVC ratio during childhood and adolescence: an intercontinental study. Eur Respir J. 2010;36:1391–1399. doi: 10.1183/09031936.00164109. PubMed DOI

SPOSATO B, SCALESE M, MIGLIORINI MG, RICCARDI MP, BALDUCCI MT, PETRUZZELLI L, SCALA R. Obesity can influence children’s and adolescents’ airway hyperresponsiveness differently. Multidiscip Respir Med. 2013;8:60. doi: 10.1186/2049-6958-8-60. PubMed DOI PMC

SUTTON PP, GEMMELL HG, INNES N, DAVIDSON J, SMITH FW, LEGGE JS, FRIEND JA. Use of nebulised saline and nebulised terbutaline as an adjunct to chest physiotherapy. Thorax. 1988;43:57–60. doi: 10.1136/thx.43.1.57. PubMed DOI PMC

TOWNSEND MC. Spirometric forced expiratory volumes measured in the standing versus the sitting posture. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1984;130:123–124. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1984.130.1.123. PubMed DOI

WABNITZ DA, WORMALD PJ. A blinded, randomized, controlled study on the effect of buffered 0.9% and 3% sodium chloride intranasal sprays on ciliary beat frequency. Laryngoscope. 2005;115:803–805. doi: 10.1097/01.MLG.0000157284.93280.F5. PubMed DOI

WARK PAB, SIMPSON JL, HENSLEY MJ, GIBSON PG. Safety of sputum induction with isotonic saline in adults with acute severe asthma. Clin Exp Allergy. 2001;31:1745–1753. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2222.2001.01230.x. PubMed DOI

WEBER L, LENGSFELD CS. Spray nebulizer deposition efficiency as a function of age. ILASS Americas, 23rd Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems; Ventura, California. 2010.

WEN Z, WU C, CUI F, ZHANG H, MEI B, SHEN M. The role of osmolality in saline fluid nebulization after tracheostomy: time for changing? BMC Pulm Med. 2016;16:179. doi: 10.1186/s12890-016-0342-x. PubMed DOI PMC

Legacy of Prof. Juraj Korpáš: International Impact of Slovak School of Experimental Respirology