[Inhalation bronchodilators in infancy--comparative study between salbutamol and ipratropium bromide]

The effectiveness of bronchodilators in infancy still remains uncertain. The objective of the present study was, on the basis of clinical scores, to determine the effect of salbutamol and ipratropium bromide in the treatment of acute airways obstruction in infants. For this purpose, we investigated a total of 22 infants whose ages ranged between 1 and 12 months and who were randomized to three different treatment groups. Infants in group 1 were given 0.9% NaCl to inhale, those in group 2 received ipratropium bromide, and those in group 3 salbutamol. The response to treatment was assessed on the basis of a decrease in the clinical score. A statistically significant decrease in the score was found only for those infants given ipratropium to inhale. None of the infants in this group failed to respond to treatment. Ipratropium bromide proved to be more effective than salbutamol in the treatment of infants with acute airways obstruction.