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Inhalation Toxicology
International Forum for Respiratory Research
Volume 20, 2008 - Issue 9
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Research Article

Furosemide Inhalation in Dyspnea of Mustard Gas-Exposed Patients: A Triple-Blind Randomized Study

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Pages 873-877 | Received 29 Oct 2008, Accepted 12 Dec 2008, Published online: 06 Oct 2008
 

Abstract

Dyspnea is the hallmark symptom of some respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchiolitis and is a major reason for which these patients seek medical attention. We performed a randomized triple-blind controlled crossover clinical trial in which we compared the efficacy of inhaled furosemide (4 ml equal to 40 mg in 10 min) with placebo (4 ml of 0.9% saline solution) in 41 mustard gas-exposed patients. Dyspnea index, visual analog scale (VAS), and pulmonary function test results were obtained before and 4 h after treatments. Results showed that both furosemide and placebo significantly decreased VAS and dyspnea index and increased FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC, while there was no difference between the two drugs in these effects (p values.23, .61, .81, .36, and.27, respectively). Our results failed to address the previously reported effects of inhaled furosemide on dyspnea. In fact, we suggest that patients with a previous exposure to sulfur mustard, in which chronic bronchitis and bronchiolitis are the most suggested underlying mechanisms, may not benefit from furosemide to alleviate their dyspnea.

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