Evaluating the Placebo Status of Nebulized Normal Saline in Patients With Acute Viral Bronchiolitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Efficacies of different treatment strategies for infants hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis

BACKGROUND

Acute bronchiolitis is a common cause of hospitalization during infancy that carries significant morbidity and mortality rates.

PURPOSE

This study compared the efficacy of different treatment modalities for infants with bronchiolitis in terms of hospital stay and clinical severity scores.

METHODS

The PubMed database was searched for relevant studies. Eligibility criteria included double-blind randomized controlled trial design, assessment of the effect of treatment on bronchiolitis in infants under 2 years of age, and publication in English from inception through July 31, 2020. The primary efficacy outcome was the length of hospital stay, while the secondary outcome was the clinical severity score. The standardized treatment effect and standard error of the effect size were calculated.

RESULTS

We identified 45 randomized controlled trials of 24 pairwise comparisons. These 45 trials included 5,061 participants and investigated 13 types of interventions (12 active, 1 placebo). Inhalation therapy with epinephrine (standard mean difference [SMD], -0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.8 to -0.03) and hypertonic saline (SMD, -0.29; 95% CI, -0.55 to -0.03) reduced the length of hospital stay compared with normal saline. Hypertonic saline was the most effective at improving the clinical severity score (SMD, -0.52; 95% CI, -0.95 to -0.10).

CONCLUSION

Inhalation therapy with epinephrine and hypertonic saline reduced the length of hospital stay and the clinical severity of bronchiolitis among infants under 2 years of age.

Normal saline for children with bronchiolitis: study protocol for a randomised controlled non-inferiority trial

INTRODUCTION

Bronchiolitis is one of the most common reasons for hospital admissions in early childhood. As supportive treatment, some treatment guidelines suggest using nasal irrigation with normal saline (NS) to facilitate clearance of mucus from the airways. In addition, most paediatric departments in Denmark use nebulised NS for the same purpose, which can mainly be administered as inpatient care. However, no studies have ever directly tested the effect of saline in children with bronchiolitis.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The study is an investigator-initiated, multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled non-inferiority trial and will be performed at six paediatric departments in eastern Denmark. We plan to include 300 children aged 0-12 months admitted to hospital with bronchiolitis. Participating children are randomised 1:1:1 to nebulised NS, nasal irrigation with NS or no saline therapy. All other treatment will be given according to standard guidelines.The primary outcome is duration of hospitalisation, analysed according to intention-to-treat analysis using linear regression and Cox regression analysis. By including at least 249 children, we can prove non-inferiority with a limit of 12 hours admission, alpha 2.5% and a power of 80%. Secondary outcomes are need for respiratory support with nasal continuous positive airway pressure or high-flow oxygen therapy and requirement of fluid supplements (either by nasogastric tube or intravenous).

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study may inform current practice for supportive treatment of children with bronchiolitis. First, if NS is found to be helpful, it may be implemented into global guidelines. If no effect of NS is found, we can stop spending resources on an ineffective treatment. Second, if NS is effective, but nasal irrigation is non-inferior to nebulisation, it may reduce the workload of nurses, and possible duration of hospitalisation because the treatment can be delivered by the parents at home.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05902702.

Bronchodilator-responsive bronchiolar obstruction in term neonates: a case series

BACKGROUND

Bronchiolar obstruction, which causes airway obstruction in hyperresponsive airways, often results from the contraction of the airway's smooth muscles, increased viscid mucous secretions, and mucosal oedema consequent upon a reduced cyclic 3,5-adenosine monophosphate (c-AMP). These processes respond to bronchodilators. The six cases presented to us, in Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH), Banjul, The Gambia, in the newborn period with clinical features suggesting obstruction with airway reactivity with response to bronchodilator treatment are presented here. Our capacity-limited literature search did not show any such report in neonates. This report highlights the need for this condition to be sought in neonates, medically managed in resource-poor countries without resorting to high-cost equipment use, and for its possible future classification.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report six cases of Gambian neonates consisting of four males and two females ages 2-27 days who presented to us with histories of fast breathing of a few hours duration and expiratory respiratory distress. All were term babies with rhonchi and demonstrable prolonged expiration with terminal effort. They all had a diagnosis of hyperreactive airway disease with bronchiolar obstruction. Five cases were first-time wheezers, while one was a recurrence. All were eventually treated with bronchodilators and steroids with good results. The median duration for resolution of most symptoms with treatment was two days, with a range of 1-5 days.

CONCLUSION

Clinically determined bronchiolar obstructions in term neonates can be relieved with bronchodilators and steroids, and this treatment modality, if employed where the pathological process can be established, can reduce the demand on scarce resources in resource-poor countries.

Saline nasal irrigation and gargling in COVID-19: a multidisciplinary review of effects on viral load, mucosal dynamics, and patient outcomes

With unrelenting SARS-CoV-2 variants, additional COVID-19 mitigation strategies are needed. Oral and nasal saline irrigation (SI) is a traditional approach for respiratory infections/diseases. As a multidisciplinary network with expertise/experience with saline, we conducted a narrative review to examine mechanisms of action and clinical outcomes associated with nasal SI, gargling, spray, or nebulization in COVID-19. SI was found to reduce SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal loads and hasten viral clearance. Other mechanisms may involve inhibition of viral replication, bioaerosol reduction, improved mucociliary clearance, modulation of ENaC, and neutrophil responses. Prophylaxis was documented adjunctive to personal protective equipment. COVID-19 patients experienced significant symptom relief, while overall data suggest lower hospitalization risk. We found no harm and hence recommend SI use, as safe, inexpensive, and easy-to-use hygiene measure, complementary to hand washing or mask-wearing. In view of mainly small studies, large well-controlled or surveillance studies can help to further validate the outcomes and to implement its use.

Antimicrobial efficacy, mode of action and in vivo use of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) for prevention or therapeutic support of infections

The objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of the rapidly developing field of the current state of research on in vivo use of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) to aid infection prevention and control, including naso-pharyngeal, alveolar, topical, and systemic HOCl applications. Also, examples are provided of dedicated applications in COVID-19. A brief background of HOCl's biological and chemical specifics and its physiological role in the innate immune system is provided to understand the effect of in vivo applications in the context of the body's own physiological defense mechanisms.

Les β2-agonistes pour la bronchiolite virale

Question

Au mois de février, un bébé de 9 mois est amené à ma clinique d’urgence rurale après un épisode de 2 jours de toux et de congestion, et de 1 jour de difficultés respiratoires. Une auscultation des poumons révèle des sons diffus, de faibles sibilances et des crépitants. En tenant compte de l’âge du bébé, de la symptomatologie et de la saison hivernale, le diagnostic probable est une bronchiolite. Les β2-agonistes inhalés sont-ils un traitement approprié pour un tel patient?

Réponse

Il n’est pas indiqué d’utiliser des β2-agonistes inhalés chez les enfants de 2 ans et moins souffrant de bronchiolite. La sibilance fait le plus souvent partie des critères diagnostiques d’une bronchiolite, qui est une infection virale des voies respiratoires inférieures chez les jeunes enfants. Au contraire de l’asthme, la bronchiolite ne compte pas parmi ses symptômes la contraction des muscles lisses du poumon. Le traitement de la bronchiolite exige des soins de soutien, et il n’a pas été démontré que les interventions pharmacologiques, comme les β2-agonistes, les corticostéroïdes et les antibiotiques, raccourcissaient la durée de la maladie, diminuaient sa gravité ou réduisaient les taux d’hospitalisation. Il pourrait y avoir un sous-groupe de nourrissons souffrant de bronchiolite qui répondraient à un traitement aux β2-agonistes; toutefois, ce groupe n’a pas encore été entièrement défini dans la littérature jusqu’ici.

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Question

A 9-month-old baby presented to my rural emergency department with 2 days of cough and congestion and 1 day of breathing difficulties in the month of February. An auscultation examination of the lungs indicated there were scattered, faint wheezes and coarse sounds. Based on the baby’s age, symptomatology, and the winter season, the likely diagnosis was bronchiolitis. Are inhaled β₂-agonists an appropriate treatment for this patient?

Answer

The use of inhaled β₂-agonists in children younger than 2 years of age with bronchiolitis is not indicated. Wheezing is most commonly part of the diagnosis of bronchiolitis, a lower respiratory viral infection in young children. Unlike with asthma, smooth muscle constriction in the lungs is not a symptom of bronchiolitis. Treatment of bronchiolitis requires supportive care, but pharmaceutical interventions such as β₂-agonists, steroids, and antibiotics have not been shown to decrease length of illness, illness severity, or hospitalization rates. There may be a subgroup of infants with bronchiolitis who respond to β₂-agonists treatment; however, this group has not been fully identified in the literature to date.

Social Risk Interventions and Health Care Utilization for Pediatric Asthma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

IMPORTANCE

Social determinants of health (SDOH) correlate with pediatric asthma morbidity, yet whether interventions addressing social risks are associated with asthma outcomes among children is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To catalog asthma interventions by the social risks they address and synthesize their associations with asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations among children.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, SocINDEX, CINAHL, and references of included full-text articles were searched from January 1, 2008, to June 16, 2021.

STUDY SELECTION

Included articles were US-based studies evaluating the associations of interventions addressing 1 or more social risks with asthma-related ED visits and hospitalizations among children. The systematic review included 38 of the original 641 identified articles (6%), and the meta-analysis included 19 articles (3%).

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Data extraction followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses reporting guideline. The SDOH intervention clusters were identified by grouping studies according to the social risks they addressed, using the Healthy People 2020 SDOH framework. Random-effects models created pooled risk ratios (RRs) as the effect estimates.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Patients with ED visits or hospitalizations were the primary outcomes. Subgroup analyses were conducted by an SDOH intervention cluster. Sensitivity analyses were conducted for each, removing outlier studies and studies failing to meet the minimum quality threshold.

RESULTS

In total, 38 studies were included in the systematic review, with 19 of these studies providing data for the meta-analysis (5441 participants). All interventions addressed 1 or more of the health, environment, and community domains; no interventions focused on the economy or education domains. In the primary analysis, social risk interventions were associated with decreased ED visits (RR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.57-0.81; I2 = 70%) and hospitalizations (RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.37-0.68; I2 = 69%). In subgroup analyses, the health, environment, and community intervention cluster produced the lowest RR for ED visits (RR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.44-0.64; I2 = 50%) and for hospitalizations (RR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.20-0.55; I2 = 71%) compared with other intervention clusters. Sensitivity analyses did not alter primary or subgroup effect estimates.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that social risk interventions are associated with decreased asthma-related ED visits and hospitalizations among children. These findings suggest that addressing social risks may be a crucial component of pediatric asthma care to improve health outcomes.

Comparative Efficacy of Bronchiolitis Interventions in Acute Care: A Network Meta-analysis

CONTEXT

Uncertainty exists as to which treatments are most effective for bronchiolitis, with considerable practice variation within and across health care sites.

OBJECTIVE

A network meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness of common treatments for bronchiolitis in children aged ≤2 years.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched from inception to September 1, 2019.

STUDY SELECTION

A total 150 randomized controlled trials comparing a placebo or active comparator with any bronchodilator, glucocorticoid steroid, hypertonic saline solution, antibiotic, helium-oxygen therapy, or high-flow oxygen therapy were included.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data were extracted by 1 reviewer and independently verified. Primary outcomes were admission rate on day 1 and by day 7 and hospital length of stay. Strength of evidence was assessed by using Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis .

RESULTS

Nebulized epinephrine (odds ratio: 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44 to 0.93, low confidence) and nebulized hypertonic saline plus salbutamol (odds ratio: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.84, low confidence) reduced the admission rate on day 1. No treatment significantly reduced the admission rate on day 7. Nebulized hypertonic saline (mean difference: -0.64 days, 95% CI: -1.01 to -0.26, low confidence) and nebulized hypertonic saline plus epinephrine (mean difference: -0.91 days, 95% CI: -1.14 to -0.40, low confidence) reduced hospital length of stay.

LIMITATIONS

Because we did not report adverse events in this analysis, we cannot make inferences about the safety of these treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Although hypertonic saline alone, or combined with epinephrine, may reduce an infant's stay in the hospital, poor strength of evidence necessitates additional rigorous trials.

Association Between Sex and Immune-Related Adverse Events During Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy

BACKGROUND

Accumulated evidence supports the existence of sex-associated differences in immune systems. Understanding the role of sex in immune-related adverse events (irAEs) is important for management of irAE in patients receiving immunotherapy.

METHODS

We performed meta-analysis on published clinical study data and multivariable logistic regression on pharmacovigilance data and applied a propensity algorithm to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) omics data. We further validated our observations in two independent in-house cohorts of 179 and 767 cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

RESULTS

A meta-analysis using 13 clinical studies that reported on 1,096 female patients (36.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 35.0%-38.5%) and 1,886 male patients (63.2%, 95% CI = 61.5%-65.0%) demonstrated no statistically significant irAE risk difference between the sexes (odds ratio [OR] = 1.19; 95% CI = 0.91-1.54; 2-sided P = 0.21). Multivariable logistic regression analysis of 12,225 patients from FAERS and 10,979 patients from VigiBase showed no statistically significant difference in irAEs by sex. A propensity score algorithm used on multi-omics data for 6,019 patients from TCGA found no statistically significant difference by sex for irAE-related factors/pathways. The retrospective analysis of two in-house patient cohorts validated these results (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 0.98-2.47; FDR = 0.13, for cohort 1; OR = 1.16, 95%CI = 0.86-1.57; FDR = 0.39, for cohort 2).

CONCLUSION

We observed minimal sex-associated differences in irAEs among cancer patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. It may be unnecessary to consider gender effects for irAE management in clinical practice.

Tolerability and efficacy of two doses of aerosolized albuterol in ventilated infants with BPD: A randomized controlled crossover trial

RATIONALE

Aerosolized albuterol is widely used, but its tolerability and efficacy in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD) is not well established.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the tolerability and efficacy of two dose levels of aerosolized albuterol to saline placebo in infants with sBPD.

METHODS

Single-center, multiple-crossover trial in 24 ventilated very preterm infants with sBPD. Albuterol (1.25 mg, 2.5 mg) and 3 ml of normal saline were administered every 4 h during separate 24-h treatment periods assigned in random order with a 6-h washout phase between periods. The primary outcome was the absolute change (post and pretherapy) in expiratory flow at 75% of exhalation (EF75). Secondary endpoints were changes in ventilator parameters, vital signs, and heart arrhythmia.

RESULTS

Average within subject EF75 values improved with each therapy: saline placebo ( + 0.45 L/min ± 2.5, p = .04), 1.25 mg of albuterol ( + 0.70 L/min ± 2.4, p < .001), and 2.5 mg of albuterol ( + 0.38 L/min ± 2.4, p = .06). However, 1.25 mg of albuterol (0.26 L/min; 95% CI -0.19, 0.72) and 2.5 mg (-0.10 L/min; 95% CI -0.77, 0.57) produced similar changes in EF75 when compared to saline. All secondary outcomes were similar between saline and 1.25 mg of albuterol. Peak inspiratory pressure needed to deliver goal tidal volumes (7.5% relative decrease, 95% CI 2.6, 12.3) and heart rate (6.5% increase, 95% CI 2.2, 10.8) differed significantly between albuterol 2.5 mg and saline.

CONCLUSION

Albuterol at 1.25 mg and 2.5 mg, compared to aerosolized saline, did not affect EF75 in infants with sBPD receiving invasive ventilation. Greater improvement in peak inspiratory pressures with albuterol 2.5 mg suggests benefit, but close heart monitoring may be indicated.

Electromagnetic inductance plethysmography to study airflow after nebulized saline in bronchiolitis

BACKGROUND

Spirometric effects from therapeutic interventions in infants with severe respiratory distress cannot readily be measured, hampering development of better treatment for acute bronchiolitis. Inhaled normal saline is regularly used in these infants, with little knowledge of how this influences lung physiology.

OBJECTIVES

Assess feasibility of infant lung function testing using electromagnetic inductance plethysmography (EIP) in a clinical setting in a busy pediatric department, and explore effects from inhaled normal saline on tidal flow-volume loops in infants with acute bronchiolitis.

METHODS

Observational study conducted at the Children's Clinic, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway during the winters 2016 and 2017, enrolling children with bronchiolitis below six months of age. EIP was performed immediately before and 5 and 20 min after saline inhalation. EIP is a noninvasive method to measure tidal breathing parameters by quantifying volume changes in the chest and abdomen during respiration. The method consists of an electromagnet/antenna and a patient vest.

RESULTS

EIP was successfully applied in 36/45 (80%) enrolled infants at mean (standard deviation) age 2.9 (2.5) months, after a hospital stay of 2.2 (1.9) days. After saline inhalation, tidal expiratory to inspiratory time ratio (Te/Ti) had increased significantly, whereas the other relevant flow/volume parameters had changed numerically in a direction compatible with a more obstructive pattern.

CONCLUSIONS

EIP could successfully be used to obtain tidal breathing parameters in infants with respiratory distress and appears a promising tool for assessment of therapeutic interventions in bronchiolitis. Saline inhalations should be used with caution as placebo in intervention studies.

A new pharmacological approach based on remdesivir aerosolized administration on SARS-CoV-2 pulmonary inflammation: A possible and rational therapeutic application

The new zoonotic coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus not previously seen in humans and which appears to come from bat species. It originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and spread rapidly throughout the world, causing over 5,569,679 global cases and 351,866 deaths in almost every country in the world, including Europe, particularly Italy. In general, based on existing data published to date, 80.9% of patients infected with the virus develop mild infection; 13.8% severe pneumonia; 4.7% respiratory failure, septic shock or multi-organ failure; 3% of these cases are fatal. Critical patients have been shown to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and hospitalization in intensive care units. The average age of patients admitted to hospital is 57-79 years, with one third half with an underlying disease. Asymptomatic infections have also been described, but their frequency is not known. SARS-CoV-2 transmission is mainly airborne from one person to another via droplets. The data available so far seem to indicate that SARS-CoV-2 is capable of producing an excessive immune reaction in the host. The virus attacks type II pneumocytes in the lower bronchi through the binding of the Spike protein (S protein) to viral receptors, of which the angiotensin 2 conversion enzyme (ACE2) receptor is the most important. ACE2 receptor is widely expressed in numerous tissues, including the oropharynx and conjunctiva, but mostly distributed in ciliated bronchial epithelial cells and type II pneumocytes in the lower bronchi. The arrival of SARS-CoV-2 in the lungs causes severe primary interstitial viral pneumonia that can lead to the "cytokine storm syndrome", a deadly uncontrolled systemic inflammatory response triggered by the activation of interleukin 6 (IL-6), whose effect is extensive lung tissue damage and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), that are life-threatening for patients with COVID-19. In the absence of a therapy of proven efficacy, current management consists of off-label or compassionate use therapies based on antivirals, antiparasitic agents in both oral and parenteral formulation, anti-inflammatory drugs, oxygen therapy and heparin support and convalescent plasma. Like most respiratory viruses can function and replicate at low temperatures (i.e. 34-35 °C) and assuming viral thermolability of SARS-CoV-2, local instillation or aerosol of antiviral (i.e. remdesivir) in humid heat vaporization (40°-41 °C) in the first phase of infection (phenotype I, before admission), both in asymptomatic but nasopharyngeal swab positive patients, together with antiseptic-antiviral oral gargles and povidone-iodine eye drops for conjunctiva (0,8-5% conjunctival congestion), would attack the virus directly through the receptors to which it binds, significantly decreasing viral replication, risk of evolution to phenotypes IV and V, reducing hospitalization and therefore death.

The use of β2-adrenoreceptor agonists in viral bronchiolitis: scientific rationale beyond evidence-based guidelines

Despite scientific evidence proving that inhaled β₂-adrenergic receptor (β₂-AR) agonists can reverse bronchoconstriction in all ages, current guidelines advocate against the use of β₂-AR bronchodilators in infants with viral bronchiolitis because clinical trials have not demonstrated an overall clinical benefit. However, there are many different types of viral bronchiolitis, with variations occurring at an individual and viral level. To discard a potentially helpful treatment from all children regardless of their clinical features may be unwarranted. Unfortunately, the clinical criteria to identify the infants that may benefit from bronchodilators from those who do not are not clear. Thus, we summarised the current understanding of the individual factors that may help clinicians determine the highest probability of response to β₂-AR bronchodilators during viral bronchiolitis, based on the individual immunobiology, viral pathogen, host factors and clinical presentation.

There are several factors that may help clinicians determine the highest probability of response to β₂-AR bronchodilators during viral bronchiolitis, based on the individual immunobiology, viral pathogen, host factors and clinical presentationhttps://bit.ly/30CoHcH

[Acute viral bronchiolitis and wheezy bronchitis in children]

Acute viral bronchiolitis and wheezy bronchitis are very common disorders in infants and preschool children. They are caused by viruses, particularly by respiratory syncytial virus and rhinoviruses. Risk factors for severe disease include premature birth, tobacco smoke exposure and immune dysfunctions. Patient history and a physical examination are sufficient to establish a diagnosis; chest X-ray and laboratory investigations are not routinely necessary. For acute bronchiolitis, many treatment options have been suggested but only supportive measures, such as minimal handling, securing adequate oxygenation and hydration are generally recommended. Antibiotics, bronchodilators, corticosteroids und leukotriene receptor antagonists are not routinely recommended. Short-acting beta-2 agonists are the first choice for the treatment of wheezy bronchitis. Inhaled corticosteroids may be tried to control symptoms in children with frequently recurring and/or severe episodes of wheezy bronchitis. The development of bronchial asthma, however, cannot be prevented by any pharmacologic tretament.