Abstract
Mixtures of different drugs are frequently used in aerosol solution for treatment of asthma. These drugs have different pH and osmolality values as stock solutions. It has been suggested that acidity and osmolality interact in provoking bronchoconstriction and cough. Therefore, pH and osmolality of antiasthmatic drug solutions and mixtures were measured in the nebulizer at 0, 1, 2, 5, 10 and 15 minutes of nebulisation. pH of fenoterol, ipratropium bromide, salbutamol and disodium cromoglycate ranged between 2.0 and 5.7 and did not change during nebulisation. Nearly all drug solutions were hypoosmolar and the osmolality increased during nebulisation with 11 to 62%. Therefore, it is suggested to dilute these drugs with saline 0.9% and to restrict nebulisation time to 10 minutes, since the most striking increase of osmolality was noted after 10 minutes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
The nebuliser epidemic. Lancet2, 789–790 (1984).
C. M. Laroche, A. V. Harries, R. C. F. Newton and M. G. Britton,Domiciliary nebulisers in asthma: a district survey. Br. Med. J.290, 1611–1613 (1985).
G. Keating, E. A. Mitchell, R. Jackson, R. Beaglehole and H. Rea,Trends in sales of drugs for asthma in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom, 1975–1981. Br. Med. J.289, 348–351 (1984).
C. O'Callaghan, A. D. Milner and A. Swarbrick,Paradoxal deterioration in lung function after nebulised salbutamol in wheezy infants. Lancet27, 1424–1425 (1986).
M. H. Schöni and R. Kraemer,Osmolality changes in nebulizer solutions. Eur. Respir. J.2, 887–892 (1989).
R. H. Lowry, A. M. Wood and T. W. Higgenbottam,Effects of pH and osmolarity on aerosol-induced cough in normal volunteers. Clin Sci74, 373–376 (1988).
J. R. Balmes, J. M. Fine, D. Christian, T. Gordon and D. Sheppard,Acidity potentiates bronchoconstriction induced by hypoosmolar aerosols. Am. Rev. Respir. Dis.138, 35–39 (1988).
L. Allegra and S. Bianco,Non-specific bronchoreactivity obtained with an ultrasonic aerosol of distilled water. Eur. J. Respir. Dis.61 [Suppl. 106], 41–49 (1980).
R. E. Schoeffel, S. D. Anderson and R. E. Altounyan,Bronchial hyperreactivity in response to inhalation of ultrasonically neubulised solutions of distilled water and saline. Br. Med. J.283, 1285–1287 (1981).
W. L. Eschenbacher, H. A. Boushey and D. Sheppard,Alteration in osmolarity of inhaled aerosols cause bronchoconstriction and cough, but absence of a permeant anion causes cough alone. Am. Rev. Respir. Dis.129, 211–215 (1984).
G. A. Ferron, K. F. Kerrebijn and J. Weber,Properties of aerosols produced with three nebulizers. Am. Rev. Respir. Dis.114, 899–908 (1976).
T. T. Mercer and N. Y. Rochester,Production and characterization of aerosols. Arch. Intern. Med.131, 39–49 (1973).
J. M. Fine, T. Gordon and J. E. Thompson,The role of titratable acidity in acid aerosol-induced bronchoconstriction. Am. Rev. Respir.135, 826–830 (1987).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Desager, K.N., Van Bever, H.P. & Stevens, W.J. Osmolality and pH of anti-asthmatic drug solutions. Agents and Actions 31, 225–228 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01997612
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01997612