[The clinical benefit of high dose inhalation therapy with beclomethasone dipropionate for patients with chronic bronchial asthma].
Conventional doses of aerosolized beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) of up to 400 micrograms/day by inhalation has often failed to normalize the pulmonary function of chronic adult patients. Therefore it may be necessary to administer the individual maximum dose of BDP to reduce bronchial inflammation. In 13 patients (2 males and 11 females, mean age 49.2 +/- 3.7 years old) with chronic asthma whose minimum %PEFRs were lower than 80% under treatment with conventional doses of BDP, the clinical benefit of high dose inhalation therapy with BDP was studied for four consecutive weeks by comparing % peak expiratory flow rate (%PEFR) measured four times a day both before and 10 minutes after inhaled procaterol (PCR) in a cross-over fashion. Mean morning %PEFRs before inhaled PCR during the first two weeks with a lower dose of BDP (419 +/- 24 micrograms/day) and during the following two weeks with a higher dose of BDP (904 +/- 55 micrograms/day) were 60.6 +/- 3.1% and 77.5 +/- 4.1%, respectively (p less than 0.01). Average increases in %PEFR during the higher dose period before and after inhaled PCR were 12.1% and 12.4%, respectively, which was observed by the end of the first week after the start of higher dose of BDP in 12 out of 13 patients. Since there were no adverse reactions such as hoarseness, oral thrush and candidiasis during the period with higher doses of BDP, it was concluded that we should promptly employ higher doses of BDP in patients who did not respond satisfactorily to conventional doses of BDP.
Nakashima
A
A
Pulmonary Division, Saiseikai Shimonoseki General Hospital, Japan.
Ikeda
K
K
Tsukino
M
M
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001507:Beclomethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D001507:Beclomethasone