Efficacy of Decamethoxine in the combined treatment of infectious exacerbation of asthma

Pediatrician, Pulmonologist, General practitioner

SO «National institute of phthisiology and pulmonology named after F. G. Yanovskyi NAMS of Ukraine» Kyiv


Key words: asthma, decamethoxine, infectious exacerbation.

In recent years, a permanent increase in asthma morbidity has been observed in the most countries of the world. According to literature data, from 1 to 10 % of people all over the world suffer from asthma. On the average, about 5 – 7 % of the population has asthma [8]. According to the official statistics, in Ukraine in 2011 asthma morbidity amounted to 515.9 patients per 100 thousands of adult population and this number continues growing year by year [7]. Exacerbations of asthma, particularly severe exacerbations, lead to a long-term lung function decline after which the lung function is not always restored to the initial level and worsens the disease prognosis [9, 11].

It has been proved that respiratory viral infections top the list of causes of asthma exacerbations [12]. One of the components of pathogenic effect of respiratory viral infection is a secondary bacterial infection and formation of viral-bacterial associations [10]. Thus, success of treatment of asthma exacerbations largely depends on provision of adequate antibacterial therapy. However, there is no unified approach concerning drug products for antibacterial treatment and methods of their delivery into patient’s organism.

In recent years, it has been reported about the efficacy of decamethoxine-based antiseptic products in the therapy of purulent and destructive pulmonary conditions, pneumonia and infectious exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [1, 2, 4]. In vitro studies have demonstrated high sensitivity of viral and bacterial agents of infectious exacerbations of bronchial asthma to decamethoxine [5, 6]; and it has been proven that inhalations of 0.02 % solution of decamethoxine do not affect indices of respiratory function (RF) in patients with infectious exacerbation of asthma [3]. However, the efficacy of nebulizer antimicrobial therapy with decamethoxine in patients with infectious exacerbation of asthma has not been studied sufficiently.

Aim of the study: to study clinical efficacy and to justify appropriateness of inclusion of 0.02 % solution of decamethoxine administered as inhalations into the combined therapy of infectious exacerbation of asthma.