Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4207949 | Journal of Cystic Fibrosis | 2016 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
To assess whether long-term inhalation with hypertonic saline is able to halt the progression of mild CF lung disease, we analysed longitudinal data of lung clearance index (LCI) and spirometry. A total of 34 patients with mild lung disease (FEV1 ≥ 70% of predicted) had at least one LCI result before and ≥ 2 LCI measurements after start of hypertonic saline (HS) therapy. After a mean follow-up of 39.7 (SD 7.4) months after starting HS, LCI improved significantly from 7.89 (SD 1.35) at baseline to 6.96 (SD 1.03), and 19/34 patients had a normal LCI value at the last measurement. No decrease in mean FEV1 was observed. Thus, ventilation inhomogeneity can improve in patients with mild lung disease.
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Authors
Helmut Ellemunter, Johannes Eder, Susanne Fuchs, Monika Gappa, Gratiana Steinkamp,