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Investigators compared the efficacy of 3 mL inhaled 7% hypertonic saline versus 3 mL normal saline in a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of infants and children ages 6 weeks to 18 months presenting to an emergency department (ED) with moderately severe bronchiolitis. All patients also received 0.5 mL nebulized racemic epinephrine. Admitted patients received their study medication every 6 hours until discharge.
During two bronchiolitis seasons, 52 infants (mean age, 6 months) received 7% hypertonic saline and 49 (mean age, 5.6 months) received normal saline. The two groups demonstrated similar improvement in bronchiolitis severity scores after the first treatment, at 4 hours (or time of ED disposition if earlier), and at 24 hours (f…