Predictors of growth and body composition in HIV-infected children beginning or changing antiretroviral therapy

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to describe growth and body composition changes in HIV-positive children after they had initiated or changed antiretroviral therapy (ART) and to correlate these with viral, immune and treatment parameters.

METHODS

Ninety-seven prepubertal HIV-positive children were observed over 48 weeks upon beginning or changing ART. Anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis results were compared with results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002 (NHANES) to generate z-scores and with results for HIV-exposed, uninfected children from the Women and Infants Transmission Study (WITS). Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate associations between growth and body composition and disease parameters.

RESULTS

All baseline lean and fat mass measures were below those of controls from NHANES. Weight, height and fat free mass (FFM) index (FFM/height(2)) z-scores increased over time (P = 0.004, 0.037 and 0.027, respectively) and the waist:height ratio z-score decreased (P = 0.045), but body mass index and per cent body fat z-scores did not change. Measures did not increase more than in uninfected WITS controls. In multivariate analysis, baseline height, mid-thigh circumference and FFM z-scores related to CD4 percentage (P = 0.029, P = 0.008 and 0.020, respectively) and change in FFM and FFM index z-scores to CD4 percentage increase (P = 0.010 and 0.011, respectively). Compared with WITS controls, baseline differences in height and mid-thigh muscle circumference were also associated with CD4 percentage. Case-control differences in change in both subscapular skinfold (SSF) thickness and the SSF:triceps skinfold ratio were inversely associated with viral suppression. No measures related to ART class(es) at baseline or over time.

CONCLUSIONS

In these HIV-positive children, beginning or changing ART was associated with improved growth and lean body mass (LBM), as indicated by FFM index. Height and LBM related to CD4 percentage at baseline and over time. Altered fat distribution and greater central adiposity were associated with detectable virus but not ART class(es) received.

Methods of haemostasis in tonsillectomy assessed by pain scores and consultation rates. The Roskilde County Tonsillectomy Study

OBJECTIVES

To compare four methods of haemostasis after tonsillectomy assessed by pain scores and consultation rates.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

A prospective study. The method of sole compression of the tonsillar fossae with gauze tampons was compared to ligation, bipolar diathermy and ligation/diathermy in combination.

RESULTS

Highly significantly lower pain scores after discharge were found in the compression group compared to the other three groups (p < 0.025). The consultation rate in person after discharge of the compression group was significantly lower than in the diathermy group (p < 0.01) and the ligation/diathermy group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Sole compression was associated with considerably less morbidity and no higher risk of postoperative haemorrhage. Sole compression should therefore be preferred in tonsillectomy whenever the surgeon considers it to be justified.

Tonsillectomy: assessment of quality by consultation rate after discharge

The aim of this prospective study was to establish a measure of short-term quality of treatment after tonsillectomy/adenotonsillectomy. One hundred and thirty-four questionnaires, returned after 14 days, from 41 children and 93 adults were analysed. Forty-seven per cent had one or more consultations with health-care professionals. Eighty-three consultations by telephone and 33 consultations in person were made. Two recent studies reported higher consultation rates in person to doctors compared to this study. The predominant reason for consulting health-care professionals was pain. Maximum pain scores were significantly higher among those with consultations vs. no consultations (p = 0.0001). Additionally, the intensity as well as the duration of maximal pain increased with the number of contacts per patient (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0045). Sixty-four per cent felt relieved after consultation by telephone and 83 per cent felt relieved after consultation in person. The present study suggests consultation rate as a parameter of quality of treatment and quality of information.

Efficacy of an aqueous and a powder formulation of nasal budesonide compared in patients with nasal polyps

Nasal polyps are commonly treated surgically. Intranasal administration of topical corticosteroids has gained increased acceptance as a treatment alternative. The aim of our study was to compare the efficacy of treatment of two formulations of budesonide with placebo on nasal polyps. At four Danish clinics 138 patients suffering from moderate or severe nasal polyps were randomized to a twice daily treatment with Rhinocort Aqua 128 micrograms, Rhinocort Turbuhaler 140 micrograms or placebo (Astra Draco, Sweden) for 6 weeks. Polyp size (primary efficacy variable), nasal symptoms, sense of smell, and patients' overall evaluation of treatment of efficacy were assessed by scores. Polyp size was reduced significantly in both budesonide treated groups compared with placebo, but there was no statistical difference between the two actively treated groups. Patients' nasal symptom scores was significantly more reduced in the Aqua compared to the Turbuhaler treated group, and both reduced symptom scores were significantly better compared to placebo. Sense of smell was significantly improved in the actively treated groups compared to placebo. The proportion of patients rating substantial or total control over symptoms after 6 weeks treatment was 60.9% and 48.2% in the Aqua and Turbuhaler-treated groups, respectively, which was significantly better compared with 29.8% in the placebo-treated group. Rhinocort Aqua and Rhinocort Turbuhaler were equally well tolerated.

A phase I/II evaluation of oral L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid in asymptomatic patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus

A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in 37 asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals (mean CD4 count 707 cells/mm3) to characterize the safety, pharmacokinetics, and effect on blood thiols of three dosage levels of a cysteine prodrug, L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (OTC; Procysteine; Clintec Technologies, Deerfield, IL). Single-dose administration of OTC resulted in measurable plasma levels at all dosages, with a mean peak plasma concentration of 734 +/- 234 nmol/mL at the highest dosage studied. After 4 weeks of administration three times daily, a statistically significant increase was seen in whole blood glutathione in the 1,500 mg and 3,000 mg dose groups compared with the placebo group. A significant increase in whole blood cysteine and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) glutathione was not seen during the study period.

Common cold and high-dose ipratropium bromide: use of anticholinergic medication as an indicator of reflex-mediated hypersecretion

It was our aim to study the role played by parasympathetic reflexes for the amount and physical characteristics of nasal discharge during a common cold, and to define the maximum anti-rhinorrhoea effect obtainable with anticholinergic medication. Fifty adults with naturally acquired colds were treated with a very high dose of the topically active cholinoceptor-antagonists ipratropium bromide in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of parallel groups. A dosage of 400 micrograms was given 4 times daily for 3 days, using a specially manufactured high-dosed pressurized aerosol. This treatment resulted in a 56% reduction in the number of nose blowings (p < 0.01) and a 58% reduction in the weight of blown secretions (p < 0.01). Assessment of the "pourability" of the nasal discharge indicated that ipratropium bromide mainly reduces the watery secretions but not the mucopurulent secretions. The high dose of ipratropium bromide caused nose- and mouth-dryness in a considerable number of the patients.

IN CONCLUSION

(1) during the first days of a common cold about 60% of the nasal discharge is a reflex-mediated product from nasal glands; (2) this type of secretion is predominantly watery; and (3) ipratropium bromide can reduce watery rhinorrhoea in the common cold, but a lower dose is required in order to avoid side effects.

A time-dose study of the effect of topical ipratropium bromide on methacholine-induced rhinorrhoea in patients with perennial non-allergic rhinitis

Intranasal application of the anticholinergic drug, ipratropium bromide, is used for the treatment of watery rhinorrhoea. We have performed a time-dose study of ipratropium bromide in patients with perennial non-allergic rhinitis, using rhinorrhoea, induced by nasal methacholine challenge, as a laboratory model. Two doses of ipratropium bromide, 40 microg and 80 microg, delivered from a pressurized aerosol, were both very effective, reducing the volume of methacholine-induced secretion by 85 to 95%. The maximum effect lasted for at least 4 h and then slowly diminished. A significant effect was demonstrable for 12 h with 40 microg and for 18 h with 80 microg ipratropium bromide. These results from a laboratory challenge study indicate that the presently used frequency of ipratropium bromide, namely four times daily, may not be necessary in many patients. Perhaps once in the morning, followed by an as-needed medication, will be a better way to use intranasal ipratropium bromide in perennial non-allergic rhinitis.

Comparison between the effect of ipratropium bromide as a pressurized aerosol and as an aqueous pump spray on methacholine-induced rhinorrhoea

Topical application of the anti-cholinergic drug ipratropium bromide is used for the treatment of rhinorrhoea. As the commercially-available pressurized aerosols are now largely being replaced by aqueous pump sprays, not containing CFC gases, we have compared these two types of sprays in a time-effect study of 20 normal persons, using the secretory response to nasal methacholine challenge as the effect parameter. Pre-treatment has been given as a single dose of 80 mg of ipratropium bromide, and 24 mg methacholine was used for challenge. The pressurized aerosol reduces rhinorrhoea with 60% (p < 0.05) and the effect lasts for at least 8 h. The corresponding value for the aqueous pump spray is 40% (p < 0.05) and the effect lasts for less than 4 h. The differences between the two sprays is significant 30 min, 1, 2 and 4 h after medication (p < 0.05). This finding is unexpected and we cannot offer a satisfactory explanation. The result indicates that changes in dosing and dose-frequency of ipratropium bromide may be necessary when patients are transferred from a pressurized spray to an aqueous pump spray.

A clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of the antihistamine doxylamine succinate in the relief of runny nose and sneezing associated with upper respiratory tract infection

Antihistamines are widely used in common cold medications, although the role of histamine in the development of common cold symptoms is unclear and the use of antihistamines for the treatment of common cold is controversial. It is clear that antihistamines do not offer a cure for common cold but they may alleviate symptoms of sneezing and runny nose. The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of an antihistamine, doxylamine, on the symptoms of runny nose and sneezing associated with common cold. We conducted a randomized double-blind study in cold sufferers. One thousand and one volunteers with cold symptoms were screened in four centres (UK, Denmark, Belgium, Germany) and 688 satisfied the entry criteria of the study. The main reasons for excluding subjects were a low nasal secretion weight (secretion weight < 0.2g, 72%) and a low subjective rhinorrhoea score (24%). Volunteers were randomized to receive either doxylamine succinate 7.5 mg by mouth four times a day up to nine doses (n = 345) or placebo (n = 343). The principal measurements were prospectively defined as runny nose and sneezing symptom scores. Data were analysed on an intention-to-treat basis, using Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel statistics controlling for baseline symptom scores. A between-group comparison showed that doxylamine-treated volunteers benefited from a significantly greater reduction in runny nose scores (P < 0.01) and sneezing scores (P < 0.001), than those volunteers in the placebo group. Doxylamine therapy was well tolerated; the incidence of unexpected side-effects was comparable with placebo. Of the expected side-effects, 13.3% of doxylamine-treated patients reported drowsiness. The incidence of sedative effects was lower than has been reported for other commonly used first-generation antihistamines.

Hearing loss after neurosurgery. The influence of low cerebrospinal fluid pressure

A prospective study was performed to investigate the effect of neurosurgery on hearing. Thirty-two patients underwent neurosurgery while 32 patients who had surgical procedures not involving puncture or drainage of the subdural space, served as a control group. In the neurosurgical group, a significant loss of hearing was observed in the immediate post-operative period, with recovery over one week. No average threshold shift was observed in the control group. It is suggested that following neurosurgery the mechanism of hearing loss results directly from a decrease in pressure and/or volume of the cerebrospinal fluid, which is reflected within the perilymphatic fluid, comparable to a transitory endolymphatic hydrops.

Use of oral tolerance tests to investigate disaccharide digestion in neonatal foals

Oral tolerance tests were performed on 13 neonatal foals to determine their ability to digest disaccharides on d 1, 3 and 5 postpartum. Foals were assigned randomly to treatments consisting of 20% (wt/vol) solutions of either maltose, lactose, or sucrose, dosed at 1 g/kg of BW, or glucose, dosed at .5 g/kg of BW. After a 2-h fast, an initial blood sample was collected via jugular catheter. Foals were administered the appropriate solution orally, and blood was collected every 15 min for 1 h and then every 30 min for 3 h. Plasma glucose increased after dosing with lactose or glucose but not with sucrose. Plasma glucose concentrations increased slightly on d 3 and 5 in foals dosed with maltose. These findings suggest that although lactose is well digested by neonatal foals, maltose is digested only slightly, and sucrose is not digested by d 5. Results of this experiment indicate that maltose and sucrose would not be suitable for inclusion in artificial diets for foals less than 1 wk old. Oral tolerance tests could be useful for determining the ability of premature or sick foals with lactose intolerance to digest alternate carbohydrate sources.

Carnitine status of pediatric patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

Plasma carnitine and the effect of oral carnitine supplementation on serum triglycerides was studied in 12 pediatric patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Baseline evaluation of all patients included plasma carnitine and serum triglyceride values. Following randomization into two groups, only group 2 patients received oral L-carnitine supplementation, 100 mg/kg/day, for 2 months. The initial laboratory evaluation was repeated at the conclusion of the study. Plasma carnitine values were also determined from a control population. Mean baseline plasma carnitine concentrations of group 1 (39.8 +/- 8.0 nmol/ml) and group 2 (45.2 +/- 10.3 nmol/ml) patients were not significantly different from each other or from the control population. Serum triglyceride values were elevated in both groups (group 1 - 206.5 +/- 100.0 mg/dl; group 2 - 279.3 +/- 74.5 mg/dl). After 2 months, the mean plasma carnitine concentration of group 2 patients increased to 147.7 +/- 84.1 nmol/ml, significantly greater than the value of group 1, 32.8 +/- 8.0 nmol/ml (p less than 0.004). However, no significant change in the serum triglyceride level was noted in either group. We conclude that the plasma carnitine status of pediatric patients receiving CAPD is normal and that oral carnitine supplementation does not lead to the resolution of hypertriglyceridemia.

Alterations in cerebral availability of metabolic substrates after severe head injury

Cerebral and systemic metabolism of oxygen, glucose, lactate, pyruvate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and amino acids were studied in 27 comatose patients during the first 7 days after a head injury. Systemic oxygen consumption was elevated initially and gradually returned toward normal over the week of study. In contrast, cerebral oxygen consumption was depressed and decreased further over the week of study. Cardiac output and cerebral blood flow were increased with respect to systemic and cerebral metabolic requirements, and remained elevated for the entire week of study. Systemic hyperglycemia and lactic acidosis were present. The injured brain often made a sizeable contribution to the lactic acidosis. The arterial concentrations of pyruvate, beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate were low. The early postinjury arterial amino acid profile was typically an increased level of alanine, taurine, glutamic acid, and a reduced concentration of valine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, serine, ornithine, and arginine. At 3-4 days postinjury, as the early abnormalities were returning toward normal, glutamine, lysine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and methionine became elevated. These late increases in amino acids occurred at the time of the peak in plasma catecholamine concentrations. The net cerebral flux of amino acids followed the same general pattern of evolution over time as did the arterial concentration of amino acids. On days when the availability of the individual amino acid was increased, the net cerebral flux tended to be positive; when the availability was decreased, the net cerebral flux was zero or there was a net efflux of the amino acid. There was a significant linear relationship between the arterial concentration and the net flux of 13 of the 17 amino acids studied. Unlike the fasting state in normal man, in which beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate are important metabolic substrates, cerebral metabolism after head injury is almost totally dependent upon the aerobic and anaerobic metabolism of glucose. This is at least in part due to injury-induced limitations in the variety of substrates that are available for the brain to extract.

Seasonal allergic rhinitis treated with a beta-2-adrenostimulant

The aim of the study was to investigate whether topical application of a beta-2-adrenostimulant (fenoterol) on the mucous membrane has a clinically significant anti-allergic effect. Thirty-three patients with grass pollen hay fever completed the trial which was a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over design. After a run-in period the patients received two puffs of 50 micrograms fenoterol 4 times a day or placebo for 21/2 weeks before cross-over. Symptoms were scored on diary cards and there was a moderate, but significant effect of fenoterol on sneezing, but the effect on secretion and blockage was insignificant. It is concluded that beta-2-stimulating agents are not competitors to the very effective topical steroids.

Seasonal allergic rhinitis and depot injection of a corticosteroid. Evaluation of the efficacy of medication early and late in the season based on detailed symptom recording

It was the aim of this investigation to study the efficacy of a corticosteroid given as a depot injection in seasonal allergic rhinitis, the efficacy profile with regard to specific symptoms, and whether the injection is best given early in the season or later at the peak of the pollen count. An injection of 80 mg methylprednisolone showed a marked effect on nasal blockage lasting more than 4 weeks, and a moderate effect on eye symptoms, while the effect on nasal hypersecretion and sneezing could not be demonstrated. It is concluded that systemic corticosteroids may be indicated in severe hay fever, when symptoms, especially blockage, occur in spite of other types of therapy. If the physician prefers to give the corticosteroid as a depot injection, it is preferably given in the first half of the season when the pollen count is increasing.

Injuries in taekwondo

During the 6th Taekwondo World Championship more than 4 per cent of the competitors were admitted to hospital. The majoirity of the severe injuries were to the head and neck. More padding and a change of rules are recommended.

Histamine and methacholine do not increase nasal reactivity

Allergen provocation in the nose increases the non-specific nasal reactivity. The aim of this trial was to determine whether this 'priming effect' can be caused by histamine or methacholine, which is the most important biochemical mediator of allergic rhinitis, and an analogue to the important neurotransmittor, acetylcholine, respectively. Intranasal provocation tests with the two substances were carried out on thirteen normal subjects, and repeated 1 hr and 1 day later. The response, measured as the number of sneezes, the amount of blown secretion and the increase in nasal airway resistance, did not change with consecutive provocations. It was concluded that neither histamine nor methacholine were responsible for the allergen-induced 'priming' of the nasal mucous membrane.

Nasal mucociliary clearance in hairdressers: correlation to exposure to hair spray

It has previously been demonstrated that hair spray sprayed onto the hair of experimental subjects reduces the mucociliary transport in the trachea and nose. Ladies hairdressers are exposed to the effects of hair spray throughout the whole working day, and we therefore investigated the nasal mucociliary transport of 60 hairdressers and 15 control subjects before and after a working day by the saccharin method. We found a significant reduction in the mucociliary transport of the ladies hairdressers during the working day (P less than 0.001), but not in control subjects. The reduction in mucociliary transport could be correlated to the amount of hair spray applied by the individual hairdresser to the hair of the customer during the day.

Inhibition of histamine-induced nasal symptoms by the H1 antihistamine chlorpheniramine maleate: demonstration of topical effect

To study whether a histamine H1 receptor antagonist inhibits allergic rhinitis symptoms by a peripheral or a central mode of action 21 normal volunteers were challenged with 500 micrograms histamine chloride in the right nasal cavity on four occasions after bilateral pretreatment with an H1 antihistamine spray and a placebo spray in various combinations. The H1 antihistamine (chlorpheniramine maleate, 0.5 mg) significantly inhibited histamine-induced tickling (P less than 0.01), sneezing (P = 0.01) and discharge (P less than 0.01), but only when it was given on the same side as histamine. This is highly suggestive of a local effect on sensory nerve endings, which prompts further studies on the topical use of antihistamines in the nose.

Effects of oral norephedrine on common cold symptoms

The aim of the trial was to examine the effectiveness of an oral decongestant in common cold. Thirty subjects with naturally acquired colds got a 100 mg sustained release tablet containing norephedrine on one day and a placebo tablet on another day in double blind design. Changes in nasal patency were assessed by rhinomanometry, measurement of nasal expiratory peak flow, and a self-assessment test, and the number of sneezes and of nose blowings were recorded in a 10 hours period after medication. Rhinomanometry, but not peak flow measurements showed a significant difference (p less than 0.02) two hours after medication, and the self-assessment of nasal blockage showed that the effect lasted for the entire 10 hours observation period (p less than 0.01). Nasal respiration was reestablished in half of the blocked noses. There was no effect on number of sneezes and nose blowings. In conclusion, oral norephedrine has a moderate decongestant effect, which may justify its use in adults with common colds. This symptom amelioration must be balanced against cost of therapy and risk of side effects. A prevention of otitis media and of sinusitis has not been documented in the literature.

Significance of H1 and H2 receptors in the human nose: rationale for topical use of combined antihistamine preparations

The aim of this experiment was to study the importance of histamine H1 and H2 receptors in the human nose. We therefore provoked 25 healthy human subjects with histamine after local pretreatment with the H1 receptor antagonist, chlorpheniramine maleate, the H2 receptor antagonist, ranitidine hydrochloride, and a combination of these two antihistamines. The histamine-induced increase in nasal airway resistance was 52% inhibited by combined use of the two antihistamine sprays (p less than 0.05), 22% by chlorpheniramine alone (p less than 0.05), and 29% by ranitidine. The two sprays together were significantly better than the H1 antagonists alone (p less than 0.05). These results suggest an equal importance of H1 and H2 receptors in nasal blood vessels, and an additive effect of H1 and H2 antihistamines. Although chlorpheniramine effectively blocked tickling and the reflex-mediated symptoms, sneezing and hypersecretion, ranitidine had no effect, which suggests an H1 and not an H2 effect on sensory nerve endings in the airway epithelium.

Tomography of the internal acoustic meatus. A critical evaluation of the radiological appearance in normals and in patients with acoustic neuromas

The radiological appearance of the internal acoustic meatus, obtained by tomography of the temporal bone, is presented for 115 patients with normal inner-ear function. These patients served as normal controls, and their tomograms are compared with those obtained in 48 patients who were initially suspected of having acoustic neuromas but in whom Pantopaque cisternography was negative. These are also compared with the findings obtained in 59 patients with surgically-verified acoustic neuromas. In normal persons the size of the vertical diameter of the meatus on the two sides, as measured by tomography, differed in only a few cases by more than 1 mm. The results obtained in patients who were suspected of having a neuroma, but in whom Pantopaque cisternography had excluded such a diagnosis, coincided completely with the results found in the normal group, and a difference of more than 1 mm. between the right and left sides is therefore indicative of a pathological process in the internal and acoustic meatus. A normal meatus does not exclude the presence of a tumour, since 10 per cent of patients with neuromas have identical meatus. No evidence of radiological destruction was found, either in the normal material or in the group of patients suspected of having a neuroma. Destruction of the bone surrounding the meatus must therefore be regarded as highly suggestive of the presence of a tumour, but lack of destruction does not exclude a tumor. Tomography of the temporal bone should be applied routinely in the search for acoustic neuromas, in patients with unilateral acoustic or vestibular complaints. The evaluation of the tomograms, however, should be performed by a few, specially interested radiologists.

Acoustic neuromas. Diagnostic efficiency of various test combinations

In the majority of diagnostic tests usually used in the search for acoustic tumors, there is a large difference in the outcome between patients with and without tumors. Because of a possible coherence between the tests applied, a statistical analysis of this connection was performed with the aid of a logistic model. The best single investigation used to differentiate between patients with and without tumors was tomography of the internal acoustic meatus. This examination was used in combination with the differential caloric test and the alternate binaural loudness balance recruitment test to differentiate completely between patients with and without tumors. Results of other examinations did not contribute significantly to the differentiation between patients with and without tumors. This factor did not render the other examinations superfluous because the analysis was valuable only in patients with a hearing level better or equal to 80 dB. By applying the other tests, information was obtained on pressure conditions in the internal acoustic meatus and possible difficulties at surgery, as well as information about the size of the tumor.

Ipratropium nasal spray: a new treatment for rhinorrhea in the common cold

A need is often present for symptomatic treatment of the common cold. A blocked nose can be opened by a vasoconstrictor, but no effective therapy is known today for rhinorrhea. The aim of the present trial was to study the effect of the topically active parasympatholytic, ipratropium, on rhinorrhea. In a placebo-controlled group comparative trial, 80 micrograms of ipratropium were taken as a nasal spray 4 times daily for 1 wk by 40 adults with spontaneously occurring common colds. All subjects administered an intranasal vasoconstrictor (xylomethazoline, 0.1%) 5 min before administering placebo or ipratropium. Ipratropium treatment resulted in a significant reduction in nasal discharge compared with that of placebo treatment during the whole treatment period (p less than 0.001), but the drug was especially effective the first 3 days, when the watery secretion was predominant. It was concluded that this new spray can be of value in the first days of a cold, when nasal discharge is a nuisance.

Intranasal ipratropium: a new treatment for perennial rhinitis

Eighty micrograms of the topically active parasympatholytic ipratropium were applied intranasally 4 times a day to 20 adult patients with perennial rhinitis and severe watery rhinorrhoea in a double-blind placebo controlled cross-over trial. There was a significant reduction in nasal hypersecretion during ipratropium treatment. Fourteen patients preferred the ipratropium period, 3 the placebo period and 3 had no preference. There were no adverse systemic or local effects. Ipratropium was effective also in patients resistant to glucocorticoids, sodium cromoglycate and antihistaminics. As the drug works immediately it can also be used before exposure to known provocating factors. It is concluded that continuous use of this new medication is of value in the management of severe rhinorrhoea in patients with perennial rhinitis, and that the occasional use is helpful in subjects with infrequent attacks of nasal hypersecretion.

Depression of nasal mucociliary transport by an aerosol hair-spray

The nasal mucociliary transport was measured on 15 healthy test subjects, using the saccharine method, before and after exposure to hair-spray and Freon. The hair-spray reduced the mucociliary transport in the nose for more than 1 h, whereas Freon had no effect. Hair-spray must be considered potentially dangerous, and investigations of the mucociliary transport in persons subject to prolonged exposure to hair-spray (ladies' hairdressers) must be relevant.

Nasal methacholine challenge. A test for the measurement of nasal reactivity

The aim of this study was to develop a test for the measurement of nasal reactivity. Different concentrations of methacholine were sprayed intranasally, and the nasal secretion and blockage were measured in normal subjects. The simple collection and measurement of secretion was found to be a valuable parameter of mucosal reactivity, while measurement of nasal airway resistance was unreliable, due in part to the presence of secretion in the nasal cavity. The methacholine test had a fairly good reproducibility when the amount of secretion was used as the only parameter. It caused a significantly stronger reaction in women than in men. Patients with perennial rhinitis had a more vigorous response than the controls. It is concluded that the methacholine test may prove useful as a sign of perennial rhinitis and also for the objective evaluation of medication, but further studies are warranted.

Intranasal ipratropium: inhibition of methacholine induced hypersecretion

The submucous glands of the nose have an abundant innervation from the parasympathetic nervous system, and rhinorrhea, a symptom of perennial rhinitis, is in all probability caused by an increased activity in these nerves. Pharmacological blockade with atropine-like compounds will therefore be a logical method of treatment. Rhinorrhoea was brought about in the laboratory in 15 healthy experimental subjects by the intranasal application of methacholine. The experimental subjects were pretreated with Ipratropium (Atrovent, Boehringer-Ingelheim) or placebo in a double-blind trial and it was found that Atrovent could effectively inhibit the methacholine induced hypersecretion for up to 6 hours, without local or systemic side-effects. The methacholine induced hypersecretion could also be effectively blocked in 10 patients with perennial rhinitis, and an open clinical study demonstrated that Atrovent had an effect on the spontaneous rhinorrhoea of these patients.