Loading...
Current therapy for treating bronchiolitis in infants is only supportive; however, in several earlier studies, researchers have evaluated whether administering nebulized 3% saline might reduce severity and speed recovery. In a meta-analysis conducted by the Cochrane Collaboration, investigators analyzed four randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) that involved 189 inpatients and 65 outpatients (age, <24 months).
In three inpatient RCTs, infants assigned to 3% saline had a significantly shorter mean length of stay (by 1 day) than infants who received 0.9% normal saline. In two inpatient RCTs and the single outpatient trial, infants who received 3% saline, versus those who received 0.9% saline, had a significantly lower mean postinhalation clini…