Respiratory care
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Prophylactic Use of Nebulized Hypertonic Saline in Mechanically Ventilated Children: A Randomized Blinded Pilot Study.
Mucolytic agents, such as nebulized hypertonic saline, may improve airway clearance and shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation, but prospective blinded studies in children undergoing mechanical ventilation are lacking. ⋯ Administering prophylactic nebulized hypertonic saline to mechanically ventilated children did not improve clinically relevant outcomes, including duration of mechanical ventilation. Wheezing after hypertonic saline treatment was rare.