Title |
Mucolytics for bronchiectasis
|
---|---|
Published in |
Cochrane database of systematic reviews, May 2014
|
DOI | 10.1002/14651858.cd001289.pub2 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Mark Wilkinson, Karnam Sugumar, Stephen J Milan, Anna Hart, Alan Crockett, Iain Crossingham |
Abstract |
Bronchiectasis is predominantly an acquired disease process that represents the end stage of a variety of unrelated pulmonary insults. It is defined as persistent irreversible dilatation and distortion of medium-sized bronchi. It has been suggested that with widespread use of high-resolution computed tomography, more bronchiectasis diagnoses are being made. Patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis frequently have difficulty expectorating sputum. Sputum therefore is retained in the lungs and may become infected, leading to further lung damage. Mucolytic agents target hypersecretion or changed physiochemical properties of sputum to make it easier to clear. One drug, recombinant human DNase, breaks down the DNA that is released at the site of infection by neutrophils.Mucus clearance along with antimicrobial therapy remains an integral part of bronchiectasis management. Chest physiotherapy along with mucolytic agents is commonly used in practice without clear supportive evidence. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Spain | 1 | 33% |
Unknown | 2 | 67% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 3 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 2 | <1% |
Portugal | 1 | <1% |
South Africa | 1 | <1% |
Norway | 1 | <1% |
New Zealand | 1 | <1% |
United States | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 224 | 97% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 36 | 16% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 22 | 10% |
Student > Bachelor | 21 | 9% |
Researcher | 18 | 8% |
Other | 18 | 8% |
Other | 53 | 23% |
Unknown | 63 | 27% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 91 | 39% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 30 | 13% |
Psychology | 7 | 3% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 6 | 3% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 6 | 3% |
Other | 22 | 10% |
Unknown | 69 | 30% |