title: Heliox as a driving gas to atomize inhaled drugs on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective clinical study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is a common condition, which affects not only the quality of life of patients but also their prognosis. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of an inhaled salbutamol sulfate solution and an inhalation suspension of the glucocorticoid budesonide that were atomized with heliox to treat patients with AECOPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three patients with AECOPD were divided into a treatment group (He/O2 = 70%/30%) and a control group (N2/O2 = 70%/30%). The salbutamol sulfate and budesonide were administered by inhalation twice a day for 7 days. Vital signs, arterial blood gas levels, pulmonary function and the levels of serum myostatin (sMSTN) were measured and lung vibration imaging was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the PaO2 and PaCO2 values were not significantly different between the two groups at the various time points (P > 0.05). There were also no significant differences in any of the parameters of pulmonary function between the two groups. However, after baseline correction, the increase rate of the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), the forced vital capacity (FVC), and the maximum minute ventilation (MVV) appeared to be significantly increased at some time points compared with the baseline (before treatment) in both groups (P < 0.05). Although the values of quantitative lung distribution (QLD) for different regions and the levels of sMSTN were slightly different between the two groups, the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that there were no significant differences between the two groups or within any group (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the use of heliox as a driving gas can improve symptoms and benefit patients with AECOPD, the heliox treatment group did not have significant differences in arterial blood gases, lung function, lung vibration response imaging or the levels of sMSTN compared with the control group. (Chinese Clinical Trial Register Center ChiCTRTRC-00000273).
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Lanzhou General Hospital of Lanzhou Military Area Command of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Lanzhou, Gansu 730050, China.
authors.forename: Yongjiu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Longxiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Bethune International Peace Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050082, China.
authors.forename: Bingchao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China. Email: xielx@263.net.
authors.forename: Lixin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000368:Aged; D000420:Albuterol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019819:Budesonide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D006371:Helium / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D006371:Helium; D019819:Budesonide; C038949:heliox; D000420:Albuterol; D010100:Oxygen