Expectoration disturbances and bronchial obstruction

Two methods for the efficacy evaluation of the respiratory tract clearance by cough, measuring the time of expectoration (Texp) of sputum mixed with hem-containing indicators after their inhalation were used in patients with bronchial obstruction. In the first method, the patients studied inhaled their own hemoglobin (Hb) and in the second one they inhaled a finely pulverized powder of hem-containing substances which were obtained from donor erythrocyte mass. 195 subjects were examined: 44 with intrinsic bronchial asthma (BA), 71 with obstructive bronchitis (OB) and 22 with purulent obstructive bronchitis (POB). Patients expectorating not less than 30 ml/day of sputum were selected. The control group consisted of 18 patients with non-obstructive bronchitis (NOB) and 40 healthy volunteers, nonsmokers. The sputum for analysis after the inhalation of the indicator in healthy persons was collected during coughing stimulated by inhaling a hypertonic solution (15% NaCl+1% NaHCO3). It was found that Texp depends on the form of illness (means +/- SEM): (1) with Hb technique, BA: 41.5 +/- 3.4 h; OB: 59.3 +/- 5.7 h and POB: 128.8 +/- 15.3 h and (2) with the powdered indicator technique, BA: 53.4 +/- 7.6 h; OB: 68.8 +/- 6.6 h and POB: 101.1 +/- 11.8 h.

in patients with NOB, Texp measured with the Hb technique was 31.4 +/- 4.3 h and with the powdered indicator 30.0 +/- 10.3 h. In healthy volunteers, the presence of hem-containing substances in sputum after 36 h was not found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)