Nebulized Magnesium Sulphate Versus Saline as an Adjuvant in Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in a Tertiary Centre of Nepal: A Randomized Control Study

Methods It was a randomized single blind interventional study of 172 cases of acute exacerbation of COPD presenting (AECOPD) with a peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) <300 L/min measured 20 min after initial management. Patients received 5 mg salbutamol mixed with 3 ml isotonic magnesium sulphate or 3 ml normal saline on three occasions at 30 min intervals via nebulizer. The primary outcome measured was PEFR at 90 min and hospital admission, noninvasive or invasive ventilation and mortality were taken as secondary outcomes.