[Evaluation of the therapeutic effectiveness of orally administered fenoterol in asthmatic children]. / Valutazione dell'efficacia terapeutica del fenoterolo per os nel bambino asmatico.

In a single blind controlled trial we evaluated the effectiveness of fenoterol, administrated by oral route, in 14 pediatric patients, suffering from allergic asthma. The study was designed through three cycles of therapy: the first with fenoterol (0.25 mg/kg), the second with placebo and the third with the active drug again. The duration of each period was of one month and every two weeks a clinical and spirometric evaluation were performed. Positive data with statistically significant differences for the spirometric parameters were found together with a good safety and tolerability.

Alterations of the endoalveolar surfactant after surgery with extracorporeal circulation.

In 10 patients who required extracorporeal circulation (ECC) during surgery, we studied the damage induced by surgery to the pulmonary surfactant and the effectiveness of ambroxol in preventing changes in the phospholipid pool. There were 5 control patients and 5 patients who were given 1 g/day of ambroxol on the 4 days prior to and the 4 days after surgery. To follow changes in phospholipid concentrations, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed before surgery and 24 h and 8 days after ECC. Phospholipids were assayed in the BAL liquid by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. There were marked decreases in total phosphorus and quantitative alterations of individual phospholipid species in the surfactant of the control group, but not in the patients treated with ambroxol.