Monodisperse labeled aerosol to visualize airflow redistribution in the lung after a mucokinetic drug.

A technique based on inhalation of nebulized albumin minimicrospheres labeled with 99mTc (HAMM) was applied to visualize the redistribution of convective ventilation in the lung after a mucokinetic drug treatment. A randomized double-blind study comparing the effect of 7 days treatment with 800 mg daily oral sobrerol versus placebo in two groups of 10 patients each, affected by chronic bronchitis, was performed. Routine pulmonary function tests (PFT) and alveolar-arterial (Aa) gradients of oxygen and carbon dioxide were performed. Both PFT and Aa gradients did not show significant modification, but the inhomogeneity of HAMM deposition resulted significantly reduced after sobrerol treatment. By means of HAMM technique it was possible to show objectively the reduction of bronchial obstruction secondary to sobrerol treatment.