Efficacy of dornase alia (Pulmozyme) in children with chronic lung diseases

Abstract

Effect of Pulmozyme is studied in 28 children aged 8 to 16 with chronic lung diseases (14 children with congenital bronchi defects, 6 ones with the Kartagener's syndrome, 2 ones with hypogammaglobulinemia, 6 ones with chronic pneumonia). The drug was given in the dose of 2.5 mg once a day by inhalation. The treatment course was 10 days. Eight children received endobronchial Pulmozyme during bronchoscopic procedure. The sputum viscosity was tested with a rotary viscometer Reotest 2.1 (Germany) using a cone — flat working joint under the standard temperature of 20^°C.
The Pulmozyme therapy caused a positive clinical dynamics in all the children such as easier sputum expectoration due to reduction of its viscosity resulted in more effective bronchial drainage and improvement in the patients' general status. The study in vitro showed Pulmozyme to diminish the sputum viscosity and structuring from 10⁴ to 10³—10² mPa/s; the mucolytic effect of Pulmozyme kept for a day. The sputum viscosity in vitro was investigated before the drug inhalation, just after and in 4 and 8 hrs. The maximal viscosity decrease from 10⁴ to 10³—10² mPa/s was found 4 hrs after the inhalation followed by the viscosity growth up to the initial level 8 hrs after the inhalation. The adverse effect of Pulmozyme was noted in 1 patient (sore throat). The endobronchial delivery provided fast mucolytic effect and an improved expectoration after the bronchoscopic procedure.