Monaldi archives for chest disease = Archivio Monaldi per le malattie del torace / Fondazione clinica del lavoro, IRCCS [and] Istituto di clinica tisiologica e malattie apparato respiratorio, Università di Napoli, Secondo ateneo
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Monaldi Arch Chest Dis · Jun 2001
Clinical TrialDuration of salbutamol-induced bronchodilation delivered by metered-dose inhaler in mechanically ventilated COPD patients.
The delivery of bronchodilators with metered-dose inhaler (MDI) and a spacer in mechanically ventilated patients has become a widespread practice. However, the duration of action of bronchodilators delivered with this technique is not well established. The purpose of the study was to examine the duration of bronchodilation induced by short-term beta 2-agonists administered with an MDI and a spacer in a group of mechanically ventilated patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ These changes were evident at 15 minutes and remained significant for 2 hours after S. The duration of bronchodilation was highly variable and unpredictable among patients, lasting in some patients more than 4 hours while in others wearing off in less than 2 hours. We conclude that 6 puffs of S delivered with an MDI and a spacer device induces significant bronchodilation in mechanically ventilated patients with COPD, the duration of which is highly variable precluding guidelines regarding the time scheduled for dosing.