Abstract
BACKGROUND: Decreasing electrostatic charge on valved holding chambers increases the amount of drug delivered. However, there are no data demonstrating that this increases bronchodilatation.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of reducing electrostatic charge on the bronchodilator response to albuterol inhaler during nocturnal bronchospasm.
METHODS: This randomized double-blind, double-dummy crossover study included subjects, 18–40 years old, with nocturnal bronchospasm (20% overnight decrease in peak flow on 3 of 7 nights during run-in), FEV1 60–80% predicted during the day, and ≥ 12% increase after albuterol. Subjects slept in the clinical research center up to 3 nights for each treatment. FEV1 and heart rate were measured upon awakening spontaneously or at 4:00 am, and 15 min after each dose of 1, 2, and 4 cumulative puffs of albuterol via metered-dose inhaler. The drug was administered through an anti-static valved holding chamber (AeroChamber Plus Z-Stat) or a conventional valved holding chamber containing a static charge (AeroChamber Plus).
RESULTS: Of 88 consented subjects, 11 were randomized and 7 completed the study. Most exclusions were due to lack of objective evidence of nocturnal bronchospasm. Upon awakening, FEV1 was 44 ± 9% of predicted before the anti-static chamber and 48 ± 7% of predicted before the static chamber. The mean ± SD percent increase in FEV1 after 1, 2, and 4 cumulative puffs using the anti-static versus the static chamber, respectively, were 52 ± 26% versus 30 ± 19%, 73 ± 28% versus 48 ± 26%, and 90 ± 34% versus 64 ± 35%. The point estimates for the differences (and 95% CIs) between the devices (anti-static vs static) were 21% (4–38%) (P = .03), 23% (6–41%) (P = .02), and 25% (7–42%) (P = .01) for 1, 2, and 4 cumulative puffs, respectively. There was no significant difference in heart rate between treatments.
CONCLUSIONS: Delivery of albuterol through an anti-static chamber provides a clinically relevant improvement in bronchodilator response during acute, reversible bronchospasm such as nocturnal bronchospasm.
Footnotes
- Correspondence: Leslie Hendeles PharmD, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, Gainesville FL 32610-0486. E-mail: hendeles{at}cop.ufl.edu.
Dr Hendeles presented a version of this paper at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, held March 19, 2011, in San Francisco, California.
The authors have disclosed relationships with Monaghan Medical and Schering-Plough. This research was partly supported by a grant from the Children's Miracle Network at the University of Florida; by fellowship training grant T72MC000002 from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, United States Department of Health and Human Resources; by grant 1UL1RR029890 from the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health; and by grant RR17568 from the Research Facilities Construction Program, National Institute of Health.
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