Mesh nebulizer is as effective as jet nebulizer in clinical practice of acute asthma in children

Abstract

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of salbutamol delivered to children by jet nebulizer (JN) and meshnebulizer (MN).Materials and methods: Children admitted with acute asthma were treated with 3 doses of nebulized salbutamol, 1 given by MN. Thepatients’ vital signs, lung function measurements, modified pulmonary index score (MPIS), and whole body plethysmography (WBP)measurements were evaluated before and 20 min after each dose of salbutamol.Results: Thirty-one children [9.5 (6.4–17.2) years, 67.7% male, 32.3% female] with mild (67.7%) and moderate (32.3%) asthma attackswere included in the study. The improvements with MN were comparable with JN in terms of changes in pretreatment and posttreatmentforced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) (2.57 ± 4.57, 3.65 ± 5.44; P = 0.44), forced vital capacity (FVC) (2.52 ± 5.29, 4.17 ±7.54; P = 0.28), heart rate (7.33 ± 10.21, 4.14 ± 9.32; P = 0.24), peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) (0.38 ± 0.23, 0.43 ± 0.15;P = 0.83), and modified pulmonary index score (MPIS) (−6.30 ± 22.70, −8.77 ± 25.46; P = 0.70). The pre- and posttreatment values oftotal lung capacity (TLC), residual volume (RV), specific conductance (sGaw), and RV/TLC were similar for the JN and MN groups.Adverse effects were not different: however, complaints of palpitation were significantly higher in the posttreatment MN group than thepretreatment MN group (32.3% vs 9.7%, respectively, P = 0.016).Conclusions: These findings support the previous evidence found in studies of adults that MN is as effective as and as safe as JN in thetreatment of acute asthma in children.