Research / References
“Increasing the pH balance of the acidic lung surface liquid found in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, using an inhaled alkaline buffer, helps to kill bacteria in the airways, research from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine found. The study, “Repurposing tromethamine as inhaled therapy to treat CF airway disease,“ published in the journal JCI Insight, proposed that the buffer, called tromethamine or Tham, could be a used as a treatment option for managing airway symptoms in CF patients” 1
“There is evidence that people with CF may have differences in the liquid that lines the surface of their lungs from people without CF. There are two things that are known to be different. One is called bicarbonate secretion, which is the movement of a salt called bicarbonate that is normally present in the blood and lung fluid in all people. The abnormal movement of bicarbonate appears to cause a second abnormality – the liquid in the breathing tubes has more acid than the liquid in patients without CF. These differences may affect the stickiness and thickness of the mucus and limit how well the hairs that line the breathing tubes (cilia) move mucus out of the lungs.
Recent studies in a group of patients with chronic cough looked at the effects of giving an inhaled bicarbonate solution (sodium bicarbonate instead of sodium chloride) on the study subjects’ ability to cough up mucus. Compared to the group given inhaled saline, the patients given inhaled bicarbonate were able to cough up approximately three times as much mucus. No clinical studies have looked at whether inhaled bicarbonate improves the ability of the lung in a person with CF to move mucus out of the lung or how this treatment affects lung function in patients with CF” 2
“The flow time of mucus decreased with increased concentrations of NaHCO3. The flow time for 5 mL
raw mucus at 20 cm H2O was 271 seconds, while adding 0.125 mL 8.4% NaCHO3 decreased the flow
time to 64 seconds. Some of the decrease in flow time was due simply to dilution of the mucus. Further
tests showed that bicarbonate influenced the viscosity reduction more than sodium or dilution.
Comparing the flow times at 20 cm H2O for the mucus mixtures of 0.5 mL of 8.4% NaCHO3 to 0.5 mL
of 8.4% NaCl showed a flow time of 29 seconds for the NaCHO3 mixture, and 71 seconds for the NaCl
mixture”3
“This is a case report of a 15-year-old asthmatic girl who was admitted with a severe acute attack of bronchial asthma who eventually recovered, possibly with the help of sodium bicarbonate solution nebulization” 4 Source: American Journal of Therapeutics
“The airway acidifies in a variety of inflammatory lung diseases as measured by exhaled breath condensate (EBC). We have demonstrated in vitro that alkalization improves absorption of cationic bronchodilators, such as albuterol and tiotropium, both in airway epithelia and smooth muscle cells; however, the rationale of airway alkalization therapy is not fully understood. Conclusion: Nebulized NaHCO3 can increase airway pH without significant effects on exhaled CO2 levels in healthy subjects. NaHCO3 induced increase in Qaw, together with elevated airway pH, could improve absorption of inhaled cationic bronchodilators” 5
“We previously reported that when respiratory acidosis complicates status asthmaticus, the correction of acidemia by sodium bicarbonate administration can bring about relaxation of bronchospasm and restore the response to bronchodilator drugs. We have now had further experience which has substantiated our original observations and broadened the applicability of this form of therapy. This paper describes its use in six more cases among which was a 12-year old child who recovered from an episode of status asthmaticus” 6
“Concomitant therapy using cineole can lead to notable improvement in lung function and health condition as well as to reduce dyspnea in asthma patients”7
“The goal of this clinical research study is to compare the effects of sodium bicarbonate to normal saline when used for clearing mucus blockage in patients with airway stents”8
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