ABSTRACT
The present study was designed to determine the extent of additivity of response to combination therapy of ipratropium bromide (I) (40 meg; 2 puffs) and fenoterol hydrochloride (F) (100 ug; 2 puffs) in 16 adults asthmatic patients who are responsive to I. The study design was a randomized, double-blind cross-over trial. The trial was a double blind cross over deign employing placebo, I, F and combination. All test medications significantly improved both FEV1 and FVC than placebo. Analysis of improvements in pulmonary function tests using area under the curve estimations suggested that the order of the test medications by the patients and the physicians showed the significantly better ratings of the combination than all other test medications (p < 0.05). No significant changes in pulse rate, blood pressure and electrocardiogram were observer in all treatment groups. No side effects were reported by all patients during the whole trial period.
ABSTRACT
Drugs that modify the physico-chemical properties of bronchial secretions are widely used in the treatment of chronic airway diseases. S-carboxymethylcysteine is one among various mucolytic agents available. It acts directly on mucus gland and reduces the viscosity of viscous by breaking the disulphide bonding which crosslink the strands of mucus. A double-blind trial of S-carboxymethylcysteine, administered orally in a dose of 700 mg. three times daily for seven days, was compared with placebo in 20 patients with chronic bronchitis. S-carboxymethylcysteine resulted in a significant reduction in the pourability of sputum by 55.5 to 65 percent. No improvement was noted in the subjective measures of ease of expectoration, severity of coughing and sputum consistency. There was also no significant difference in the volumes of sputum expectorated and in ventilatory function (spirometry). No side effect of S-carboxymethylcysteine was seen.
ABSTRACT
Metered dose aerosol bronchodilators are presently widely used in the treatment of asthmatic patients. However, this route of administration has often been ineffective in children and the elderly who find greater difficulty in synchronizing the inspiration with the release of the high velocity aerosol spray. Lately, there have been several developments in inhaled therapy to overcome this problem such as the spacer and the Rotahalerฎ. The objective of this trial was to compare the effectiveness of treatment in asthmatics using either the salbutamol aerosol 200 mcg via the MDI or salbutamol powder 200 and 400 mcg administered via the Rotahalerฎ in a double-blind cross-over study. 27 asthmatic patients were recruited into the study at the Department of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital. Results of the study indicated that the average PF and FEV1 values obtained after using either MDI or Rotahalerฎ were significantly higher than the basal values from 5 minutes to 3 hours after drugs administration. No significant difference in bronchodilating effect was observed for the three regimens. No adverse effect was found with the dosages studied. A majority of patients (66.7%) preferred administration of drug via the Rotahalerฎ to the metered dose inhaler.
ABSTRACT
Castor bean is one of the agricultural cash crops of economic importance, the health hazards of castor bean dust that recently made headlines in the mass media alerted many governmental agencies concerned to take action. The castor oil mill started operation in 1979, at Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prokan 50 km east of Bangkok. A few months after the operation, people who lived within 2 kilometres of the mill began to develop respiratory ailments: cough, sneezing, headache, nasal blockage, wheezing, violent attacks of asthma. An epidemiological survey carried out showed that castor bean dust was the major health hazards in the villages within 2 kilometres of the castor oil mill in Phra Pradaeng. The patients suffering from asthma due to castor bean had no further attacks after closure of the factory. The study indicated that to minimize the health hazard problem, the castor bean oil mill should improve its method of collecting the castor bean pomace.