Abstract
Beta adrenergic stimulant drugs are rarely effective as bronchodilator drugs below the age of 18months in childhood asthma. We have previously shown that ipratroprium bromide, an anticholinic drug, is an effective bronchodilator agent in children over the age of three years, and produced a response similar to that of salbutamol. We set out to investigate whether this drug was effective in the first three years of life. Children under the age of three, admitted to hospital with wheezy bronchitis/asthma, were sedated and given a nebulised solution containing 250mc gms of ipratroprium bromide. Airways resistance (Raw), thoracic gas volume (TGV) and total respiratory resistance (RT) were measured five minutes before and 20 minutes after the administration of the drug, using a total body plethysmograph and the forced oscillation technique. Twelve of 30 children under the age of 18 months showed a greater than 15% improvement in RT and 10 of 22 an improvement in Raw, the youngest being six months of age. This preliminary work suggests that ipratroprium bromide may have a place in the treatment of the very young asthmatic.
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Milner, A., Hodges, I., Stokes, G. et al. 1702 At what age is ipratroprium bromide an effective bronchodilator agent in childhood asthma?. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 727 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01721
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01721
