Effects of nebulized epinephrine in association with hypertonic saline
for infants with acute bronchiolitis: a systematic review and
meta-analysis
Abstract
Management of acute bronchiolitis remains controversial due to lack of
strong evidence-based data. Nebulized epinephrine and hypertonic saline
have been studied in infants with bronchiolitis, with conflicting
results. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the
efficacy on length of stay (LOS), clinical severity scores (CSS), oxygen
saturation (SaO2) and safety profile of nebulized epinephrine plus
hypertonic saline (HS) in infants with acute bronchiolitis. Outcomes
were represented by mean differences (MD) or standard mean differences
(SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized. 18 trials were
systematically selected and 16 of them contributed for the meta-analysis
(1,756 patients). Overall, a modest but significant positive impact was
observed of the combination therapy on LOS (MD of – 0.35 days, 95% CI
-0.62 to -0.08, p = 0.01, I2 = 91%). Stratification by time of CSS
assessment unveiled positive results in favor of the combination therapy
in CSS assessed 48 hours and 72 hours after the admission (SMD of -0.35,
95% CI -0.62 to -0.09, p = 0.008, I2 = 41% and SMD of -0.27, 95% CI
-0.50 to -0.04, p = 0.02, I2 = 0%, respectively). No difference in SaO2
was observed. Additional data showed a consistent safety profile, with a
low rate of adverse events (1%), most of them mild and transient. In
conclusion, nebulized epinephrine plus HS may be considered as a safe,
cheap and efficient alternative for decreasing LOS and CSS in infants
with acute bronchiolitis, especially on those who require more than 48
hours of hospitalization.