Background: We recently published preliminary evidence on the effectiveness of hypertonic saline in infants with viral bronc chiolitis.

Objective: To further establish the efficacy of nebulized hypertc tonic saline in these infants

Methods: In a continuing, secondtyear randomized, doublet blind controlled trial, an additional 41 infants (age 2.6±1 months) hospitalized with viral bronchiolitis were recruited during the winter of 2001–2002. The infants received inhalation of 1.5 mg epinephc rine dissolved either in 4 ml normal (0.9%) saline (Group I, n= 20) or 4 ml hypertonic (3%) saline (Group II, n= 22). The therapy was repeated three times daily until discharge. Pooling our 2 years of experience (2000–2002), a total of 93 hospitalized infants with viral bronchiolitis were recruited; 45 were assigned to Group I and 48 to Group II.

Results: The clinical scores at baseline were 7.6±0.7 for Group I vs. 7.4±1.3 for Group II (P= NS). However, the clinical scores at days 1 and 2 after inhalation differed significantly between the two groups, invariably favoring Group II: 7±1 vs. 6.25±1.1 (P< 0.05), 6.45±1 vs. 5.35±1.35 (P< 0.05), respectively. Adding aerosolized 3% saline to 1.5 mg epinephrine reduced the hospitalization stay from 3.5±1.7 days in Group I to 2.6±1.4 in Group II (P< 0.05). The pooled data of both years revealed that adding 3% saline to the inhalation mixture decreased hospitalization stay from 3.6±1.6 to 2.8±1.3 days (P< 0.05). Conclusions: This secondcyear experience and our 2 year pooled data analysis strengthen the evidence that the combination of 3% saline/1.5 mg epinephrine benefits hospitalized infants with viral bronchiolitis.