Effects of Sodium Hyaluronate In Children with Recurrent Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

Effects of Sodium Hyaluronate In Children with Recurrent Upper Respiratory Tract Infections: Results of A Randomized Controlled Study

Article specifications

This Randomized Controlled Study was published in 2013 in international journal of immunopathology and pharmacology (IF 2013:2.04) by Italian specialist. This pilot study was aimed at evaluating the effects of nasal washes with 9 mg nebulized sodium hyaluronate given for 15 days per month over 3 months in 75 pediatric patients with recurrent upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). The patients with these recurrent pathologies were: 17 affected by rhinitis, 8 by rhinosinusitis, 27 by adenoiditis, 3 by pharyngitis, 13 by otitis media, 5 by tubotympanitis and 2 by recurrent tonsillitis. Eligible patients were randomized to treatment with aerosol-therapy by nasal washes containing 9 mg sodium hyaluronate plus saline solution or saline alone, according to an open-label, parallel group design, with blind observer assessment. Ciliary motility, which was assessed based on a 0-3 point rating scale (0 =absent, 1 =< 5 minutes, 2 =~ 5 and: 10 minutes, 3 => 10 minutes) was the primary study endpoint. The secondary efficacy variables included cytological (presence of neutrophils, eosinophils and mast cells), microbiological (presence of bacteria and mycetes), endoscopically (presence of adenoid hypertrophy and biofilm) and clinical (presence of rhinitis, post-nasal drip, nasal dyspnea) parameters.

 

Results

Treatment with 9 mg sodium hyaluronate was associated with significantly greater improvements in primary outcome ciliary motility. Treatment with 9 mg sodium hyaluronate was also significantly superior to saline alone in adenoid hypertrophy, presence of bacteria, neutrophils, rhinitis, nasal dyspnea and biofilm. The number of days of absence from school was significantly lower in the 9 mg sodium hyaluronate group compared to controls.