[Treatment of bronchial obstruction with beta-2-mimetic and anticholinergic agents in aerosol. Advantages of the combination of both groups of pharmaceuticals].

Abstract

The authors remind the fundamental items of the bronchodilating treatments by means of pressurized aerosols using beta 2-agonists and parasympatholytics; a review of the literature on the toxicity of the different propellants used in the cartridges is presented. The problems proceeding from inequalities of deposition of the aerosols in the normal subjects and in lung diseases are stressed. Results regarding the prevalence of positive responses to aerosols of atropine methonitrate and to aerosols of a beta-agonist given to a group of patients with reversible broncho-obstruction are presented and discussed. The advantages of oxitropium bromide, a recently synthetized parasympatholitic drug which appears more interesting than ipratropium bromide, are discussed by means of the ventilatory results observed with both drugs in 19 patients with reversible broncho-obstruction. The interest of associating atropinics and beta 2-agonists in the same cartridges is discussed. The efficacy of a recently commercialized preparation associating fenoterol and ipratropium bromide is commented.