A new baby-spacer device for aerosolized bronchodilator administration in infants with bronchopulmonary disease.

The response of salbutamol (Ventolin, Glaxo), topically administered from a metered dose inhaler (MDI) through a new baby-spacer-device (Babyhaler, Glaxo) was studied in 14 infants (8 wheezy infants, 3 infants with cystic fibrosis and 3 infants after respiratory distress syndrome), age 2.9-18.8 months. Changes in thoracic gas volume (TGV) as an estimate of pulmonary hyperinflation and changes in airway conductance (Gaw) as an estimate of bronchial obstruction were assessed by whole-body plethysmography. After baseline measurements, 1 puff of 100 micrograms salbutamol was given repeatedly at 5 min intervals until 600 micrograms have been inhaled and TGV and Gaw were measured after each inhalation at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 min. Significant improvement in lung function was achieved in 57.1% of infants after 400 micrograms and in 92.9% of infants after 600 micrograms salbutamol. The study shows usefulness of bronchodilator treatment in infants with bronchopulmonary disease by a system with a MDI and baby-spacer-device. However a special dose-time relationship must be respected.