Study design (if review, criteria of inclusion for studies)
randomized trial
Participants
28 CF patients with lung function compromised (FEV1 <60% in 23): 13 males, 15 females, 8.6-25.5 years of age
Interventions
4 aerosol treatments were studied: 20% N-acetylcysteine (jet aerosol); 0.5% NaCl (jet aerosol); 0.5% NaCl (ultrasonic nebulizer); tobramycin 50 mg/ml (jet aerosol). patients received all the treatments, one each day in two daily administrations lasting 10 minutes each one.
Outcome measures
Spirometry was done before and 15, 30, 45 minutes after each aerosol.
Main results
From the analysis of the mean changes of FEV1 and MMEFR in the six post-treatment tests of each treatment, no treatment showed relevant side-effects of bronchoconstriction.
Authors' conclusions
The changes observed in individual cases should be considered within the range of spontaneous variability of lung function, with some tendency to post-treatment increase of the air flow parameters.