Respiratory medicine
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Respiratory medicine · Jun 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffect of inhalation of thermal water on airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Thermal water inhalations have been traditionally used in the treatment of upper and lower chronic airway diseases. However, the benefit and the mechanism of this treatment have not been properly assessed. To determine whether inhaled salt-bromide-iodine thermal water improves lung function, quality of life and airway inflammation, 39 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were randomly assigned to receive 2-weeks inhalation treatment with thermal water (active, no. = 20) or normal saline (control, no. = 19) in single blind. ⋯ In contrast, normal saline inhalation was not associated with changes in differential sputum cell counts. In conclusion, treatment with inhaled salt-bromide-iodine thermal water in COPD is associated with a reduced proportion of neutrophils in induced sputum suggesting that thermal water may have a mild anti-inflammatory effect on the airways. However, the short-term improvement in some components health-related quality of life was not related with changes in lung function or with the degree of airway inflammation.