A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF NEBULIZED VERSUS INTRAVENOUS MAGNESIUM SULFATE IN ADULTS WITH ACUTE ASTHMA EXACERBATIONS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University

2 Department of Chest, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University

3 Department of Pharmaceutics & Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University

Abstract

Aim: To assess the effectiveness and Safety of the recommended dosage of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), 2000 mg, administered via nebulizer and intravenous routes, when added independently to the recommended asthma treatment regimen. Methods: 123 adult patients with acute asthma exacerbations participated in a prospective interventional trial at the Beni-Suef University Hospital. Patients were classified into group (I), which received IV MgSO4; group (II), which received nebulized MgSO4; and group (III), the control group. Blood pressure, respiratory rate, pulse, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) measurement using a peak flow meter, Fischl index, together with the necessity for hospitalization in individuals with severe bronchial asthma, were done for all patients before treatment, immediately after the treatment, “30”, and “60” min after treatment. Results: Our study found that MgSO4 can effectively treat respiratory distress, as both the IV and inhaled groups showed improvement in PEFR at 30 minutes (P<0.001), with no significant difference between them (P=0.882). The control group, however, experienced a decrease in PEFR (P=0.001). Conclusion: The current study showed that IV MgSO4 was more effective than nebulized MgSO4 for asthma exacerbation. However, IV and nebulized MgSO4 developed more benefits than the control group. The current study highlights the higher efficacy of IV route of administration of MgSO4 than the inhalation route to help the health care providers and pulmonologists to tailor better clinical interventions for patients with asthma exacerbations.

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