BACKGROUND Routine addition of ipratropium bromide to beta-agonist therapy in acute asthma is of uncertain benefit. OBJECTIVE This study was carried out to evaluate: (1) whether nebulized ipratropium (0.5 mg) plus salbutamol (2.5 mg) (Combivent) confers additional bronchodilation over nebulized salbutamol (2.5 mg) alone in patients with acute asthma and (2) whether adjustment for prognostic i...

BACKGROUND The effects of vasoactive drugs, including bronchodilators, on vascular and pulmonary dynamics are interrelated, complex and difficult to measure, but important because of potential deleterious effects on gas exchange. METHODS To assess the effects of fenoterol at both high and low dose on pulmonary gas exchange in 24 hypoxemic patients with stable COPD: fenoterol, 5 mg; fenoterol,...

stance. Unfortunately, identification of the responsible agent is not as straightforward as it appears. We report here a case we encountered recently. A &yearold woman with a long history of reactive airway disease and peanut and soy allergies was admitted for treatment of an anaphylactic reaction after inadvertently ingesting peanut oil at a party. Her initial systemic reaction was treated suc...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the autonomic nervous system in the regulation of airway epithelial ion transport in vivo. Rabbits were anaesthetized and mechanically-ventilated through a cannula inserted above the carina. The upper tracheal mucosa was exposed, and the electrical potential difference (PD) between the mucosal surface and the submucosal space was conti...

To investigate the additive effect of oral theophylline on combined inhaled anticholinergic agent and p5-agonist therapy, 12 patients with stable COPD (64.6 ± 5.9 years) completed a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial oforal theophylline for a 4-week period (400 mg for 2 weeks, followed by 600 mg for 2 weeks). All of the patients continued to inhale both salbutamol, 200 ...

Motor neurone disease: can we do better? A study of 42 patients D J Oliver, MRCGP; N E Early, DRCOG; Barbara A Thornley, FFARCS; C W Roy, MRCP; Mary C P Groves, MB............ 828 Ablative radioiodine therapy for hyperthyroidism: a long term follow up study R E Young, MRCP, and A J Hedley, FRCPED 829 Prospective comparison of three non-invasive tests for pancreatic disease I Cobden, MB, and oth...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the addition of repeated doses of nebulized ipratropium bromide (IB) to a standardized inpatient asthma care algorithm (ACA) for children with status asthmaticus improves clinical outcome. STUDY DESIGN Children with acute asthma (N = 210) age 1 to 18 years admitted to the ACA were assigned to the intervention or placebo group in randomized double-blind fashion. ...