Effects of standard and high doses of salmeterol on lung function of hospitalized patients with cystic fibrosis

Nancy L. Hordvik, Paul H. Sammut, C. Gerald Judy, John L. Colombo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

In a recent investigation we found that hospitalized patients with cystic fibrosis who received 0.5 cc of 0.5% albuterol nebulizer solution TID significantly increased their pulmonary function across the day, but fell back to baseline overnight. To determine whether this fall could be prevented by the long-acting beta-2 agonist salmeterol at both standard (2 puffs: 42 mcg BID) and high (4 puffs, 84 mcg BID) doses, we evaluated the effects of salmeterol vs. albuterol (2 puffs, 180 mcg QID, and 4 puffs, 360 mcg BID) in a placebo-controlled three-way random crossover, double-blind trial. Eighteen patients in the low-dose group and 10 of the same 18 patients in the high- dose group completed the 3 consecutive days of testing and received either salmeterol, albuterol, or placebo with each of four chest physiotherapy sessions given at 7 AM, 11 AM, 3 PM, and 7 PM. At standard doses (2 puffs), the mean percent changes in FEV1 pre- to post-7 AM therapy for salmeterol (5.5%) and albuterol (9.9%) were significantly greater than with placebo (- 1.2%) (P < 0.05 and 0.01, respectively). The mean percent changes in FEV1 from morning baseline with salmeterol were also significantly greater than placebo before 3 PM (12.1% vs. 5.4%, P < 0.01), and neither albuterol nor salmeterol were significantly greater than placebo after 3 PM. At standard doses there was a significant carryover effect with salmeterol to the next morning for the FEV1 (7.3%) when compared to placebo (1.5%) and albuterol (- 0.7%) (P < 0.05 and 0.05, respectively). At high doses (4 puffs), the mean percent change in FEV1 with pre- to post-7 AM therapy increased to 22.7% and remained significantly greater than with placebo until pretherapy at 7 PM. The carryover effect the next morning was 14.7%. Salmeterol at 4 puffs compared favorably to albuterol nebulizer therapy given TID in both the incidence of responders for the FEV1 (70% vs. 71%) and the mean changes after therapy at 7 AM (22.7% vs. 14.9%); and provided greater carryover effects to the next morning (14.7% vs. -0.7%), thus preventing the fall in pulmonary function back to baseline overnight. We recommend the use of high- dose salmeterol in hospitalized patients with FVC values of 40% of predicted or greater, starting with 2 and increasing to 4 puffs BID as tolerated.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)43-53
Number of pages11
JournalPediatric Pulmonology
Volume27
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1999

Keywords

  • Bronchodilators
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Randomized controlled trial
  • Salmeterol

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine

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