Comparison of 3% Normal Saline Nebulization versus Steroid Nebulization in the Treatment of Bronchiolitis

Abstract

Background: Bronchiolitis is a leading cause of hospitalization in infants. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of 3% normal saline nebulization with steroid nebulization in the treatment of bronchiolitis. Methods: Conducted at the Department of Pediatrics, Mardan Medical Complex, Mardan from November 15, 2022, to March 15, 2023, this randomized controlled trial involved 60 infants aged 3 to 12 months diagnosed with bronchiolitis. They were equally randomized into two groups: Group-A received 3% normal saline nebulization, while Group-B was treated with steroid and salbutamol nebulization, administered three times daily. Efficacy assessments were made at 0, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours using the respiratory distress assessment instrument. The primary outcome was defined as the number of patients discharged from the hospital within ≤ 72 hours after starting treatment. The chi-square test was used for statistical comparison, with p ≤0.05 considered significant. Results: The mean±SD age in the study was 6.91±2.41 months, with a gender distribution of 55% male and 45% female. The study revealed that a significantly higher number of infants in Group-A were discharged from the hospital within ≤ 3 days compared to Group-B (90% vs 63.33%, p=0.01). Additionally, Group-A had a significantly shorter mean length of hospital stay (2.76±0.51 days) compared to Group-B (3.58±0.82 days, p=0.00). Conclusion: Nebulization with 3% normal saline was found to be significantly more effective than steroid nebulization in reducing the severity of bronchiolitis and the duration of hospitalization in infants aged between 3-12 months.