Related Experiment Videos
Aerosol furosemide for dyspnea: Controlled delivery does not improve effectiveness
Capucine Morélot-Panzini1, Carl R O'Donnell2, Robert W Lansing3
1Pulmonary Division, Beth Israel Deaconess MC, Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, UMRS1158, Paris, France; AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière Charles Foix, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Médicale, F-75013, Paris, France.
Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology
|October 17, 2017
Summary
Inhaled furosemide may relieve breathing discomfort, but results vary. Controlled aerosol delivery did not improve consistency, suggesting individual drug metabolism influences effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Aerosolized furosemide is used to relieve dyspnea, but studies show inconsistent patient responses.
- The mechanism is hypothesized to involve stimulation of pulmonary stretch receptors, mimicking larger tidal volumes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if controlled aerosol administration improves the consistency of dyspnea relief from furosemide.
- To explore the relationship between breathing discomfort, tidal volume, and furosemide blood levels.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, randomized, crossover study involving 12 healthy volunteers.
- Furosemide (40mg) or placebo was administered via a clinical ventilator to control inspiratory flow and tidal volume.
- Breathing discomfort was induced by hypercapnia during constrained ventilation.
Main Results:
- Both furosemide and placebo treatments reduced breathing discomfort by 20%.
- Treatment effectiveness showed a weak correlation with larger tidal volumes.
- Furosemide response was inversely correlated with blood furosemide levels, indicating variable drug disposition.
Conclusions:
- Controlled aerosol delivery conditions did not enhance the consistency of furosemide's treatment effect.
- The variability in response may be linked to individual differences in how the drug is metabolized.
- A placebo effect cannot be excluded as a contributing factor to the observed relief.