Intravenous magnesium sulfate as an adjunct to the treatment of severe asthmatic patients not responding to the conventional therapy

Abstract

Treatment of acute asthma is based on rapid reversal of bronchoconstriction and arresting airway inflammation. This study was done to determine effects of intravenous magnesium sulfate for improvement of pulmonary function in patients with acute asthma not responding to routine therapy presenting in a pulmonary department.
This randomized double-blind controlled study was conducted on patients who did not respond to the routine therapy (the magnesium sulphate group, n=48, age 12 to 85 yrs, 26 men. 22 women; and the control (saline) group,n=33, age 15 to 80 yrs, 17 men, 16 women). Peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) was measured before infusion of magnesium sulfate (25 mg/kg) or normal saline solution (100 ml) as a baseline criterion and 30 min and 3 hr after. All the patients were also given bronchodilators. The main outcome parameter was PEF.
Findings were analyzed by χ² and f-test. Differences between the groups were considered significant at p<0.05. The PEF increased in the magnesium sulphate group in comparison with the saline solution group (82.60±5.8 versus 47.8±8.7; p=0.002) 3 hrs after the infusion.
The respiratory rate in the magnesium sulfate group was also increased at 30 min and 3 hr after the infusion. Cyanosis, diaphoresis and respiratory accessory muscles use by patients were decreased in the magnesium sulfate group in comparison with the saline solution group. According to the results, magnesium sulfate was suggested to be an adjunct agent for the treatment of patients with acute non-responding asthma.