OBJECTIVE:To examine the effect of nebulized furosemide as an adjunct to the conventional treatment of patients with COPD exacerbation in an emergency department. METHODS: In this randomized double-blinded clinical trial, patients with COPD exacerbation were randomized to receive 40 mg nebulized furosemide or placebo as an adjunct to the conventional treatments. We recorded changes in dyspnea severity (measured with a visual analog scale), FEV 1 , arterial blood gas measurements, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing frequency at baseline and 1 hour after treatment. RESULTS: We randomized 100 patients, whose mean age was 73.1 ؎ 8.7 y. The measured variables all improved significantly in both groups. FEV 1 , dyspnea, pH, mean blood pressure, and heart rate improved significantly more in the furosemide group. CONCLUSIONS: Nebulized furosemide benefits patients with COPD exacerbation.
Funding and support: By JACEP Open policy, all authors are required to disclose any and all commercial, financial, and other relationships in any way related to the subject of this article as per ICMJE conflict of interest guidelines (see www.icmje.org). The authors have stated that no such relationships exist.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.