An interventional study of VHC 1 and VHC 2 in Bronchitis Obstructive, Bronchiolitis; Obstruction and Bronchospasm; Bronchitis, sponsored by Tampere University. Completed at 4 sites in Finland. Open to participants aged 6 Months to 4 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-01-29.
Sponsored by Tampere University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The incidence of physician confirmed asthma is approximately 4-7% in children. An additional 5% of children suffer from infection-related bronchiolitis and obstructive bronchitis. Of all patient visits at pediatric emergency rooms, 1 out of 10 is due to breathing difficulties with a great proportion leading to hospitalization.
Salbutamol is the most commonly used drug in the treatment in acute bronchial obstruction. A vast majority of children require a spacer device (valved holding chamber, VHC) for the delivery of the drug aerosol. There are several different types of VHC on the market, but no recommendations on the device selection have been published. Both in in vivo and in vitro studies significant differences between different spacer devices have been reported.
The study compares two different VHCs in the treatment of acute breathing difficulties in children. The end-points in this randomized physician-blinded study are symptom relief, rate of hospitalization, symptom recurrence, treatment compliance, and adverse events.
The study will be conducted in pediatric emergency rooms (ER) in three university hospitals in Finland and one private clinic that routinely treat this type of patients. The treatment is given according to national treatment guidelines and no blood samples are drawn for study purposes. Both of the VHCs used in this study have been approved for use in clinical practice.
This study compares two valved holding chamber (VHC) devices in the treatment of acute airway obstruction in children. Eighty children (6 months to 4 years of age) will be recruited with moderate to severe dyspnea according to the Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument (RDAI score ≥6). After receiving an informed consent from the parents/caregivers, the child is randomized to receive treatment with either Babyhaler® or Optichamber Diamond® VHC. Patients with underlying medical conditions listed in the study protocol, patients requiring immediate hospitalization or not willing to participate will be excluded from the study. Information on the medical history together with treatment response will be recorded using a manual case report form. According to calculations of the statistical power using the RDAI-score as an end-point, a total of 80 patients (40 patients in both study groups) are needed for the study.
The study hypothesis is that the two VHCs are not equally efficient in treating acute shortage of breath in children aged 0.5-4 years.
289 studies on the registry are indexed under Bronchiolitis; 51 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 80 is below the median of 100 across 195 interventional studies indexed under Bronchiolitis.
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- Children (age 0.5-4 years) seeking medical aid due to respiratory distress caused by bronchial obstruction
Exclusion Criteria:
In this group children are receiving salbutamol with valved holding chamber number 1. Otherwise the children in both groups are treated exactly the same way. The only difference is the device used to deliver the bronchodilator. Children in both arms have the same condition and the same inclusion and exclusion criteria. We only compare the efficacy of the two VHC devices.
Device: VHC 1
In this group children are receiving salbutamol with valved holding chamber number 2. Otherwise the children in both groups are treated exactly the same way. The only difference is the device used to deliver the bronchodilator. Children in both arms have the same condition and the same inclusion and exclusion criteria. In this group children are receiving salbutamol with valved holding chamber number 1. Otherwise the children in both groups are treated exactly the same way. The only difference is the device used to deliver the bronchodilator. Children in both arms have the same condition and the same inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Device: VHC 2
Salbutamol 0.6-0.8 mg given 20-40 min. maximum four times depending on the bronchodilator response delivered via valved holding chamber 1. Same salbutamol dosing protocol for both arms. Only difference is the VHC used.
Salbutamol 0.6-0.8 mg given 20-40 min. maximum four times depending on the bronchodilator response delivered via valved holding chamber 2. Same salbutamol dosing protocol for both arms. Only difference is the VHC used.
Number of subjects whose RDAI symptom score decrased by 2 or more
Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument (RDAI) score. Change from baseline at each evaluation point. Discharge time is dependent on the score at each evaluation point. Minimum score 0 (best), maximum score 17 (worst). Inclusion criteria is at least 6.
Time frame: 20 minutes after the second salbutamol-dose and if necessary 20 minutes after the third or fourth salbutamol-dose. Maximum 5 hours.
Difference in the mean capillary oxygen saturation change between groups
Peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (%). Change from baseline at each evaluation point. Minimum 85 % (if below, not suitable for the study), maximum 100 %.
Time frame: 20 minutes after the second salbutamol-dose and if necessary 20 minutes after the third or fourth salbutamol-dose. Maximum 5 hours.
Difference in the mean respiratory rate change between group
Respiratory rate per minute. Change from baseline at each evaluation point. Minimum N/A, maximum N/A.
Time frame: 20 minutes after the second salbutamol-dose and if necessary 20 minutes after the third or fourth salbutamol-dose. Maximum 5 hours.
Compliance to treatment, compared between groups
Compliance to the treatment using a structured questionnaire conducted both by the parents and by the nurses treating the child in the emergency room. Cooperation score from 0 to 5: 0 = no measurement possible; 1 = continuously crying, screaming, or struggling against the procedure; 2 = crying, screaming, or struggling, but not continuously; 3 = not very good cooperation, but no crying or screaming; 4 = good cooperation, but clearly not comfortable; 5 = good cooperation and quiet breathing during the whole measurement.
Time frame: Throughout the ER visit. Maximum 5 hours.
Number of subjects hospitalized in both group
The information on whether the patient is discharged from the emergency room or admitted to hospital for further treatment will be recorded in the case report form.
Time frame: After the last dose of salbutamol. Maximum 5 hours.
Number of drug doses given in both groups
Number of salbutamol-doses given to the patient. Minimum two, maximum four doses. Less dose is better.
Time frame: Throughout the ER visit. Maximum 5 hours.
Difference in the mean heart rate change between groups
Change in heart rate per minute. Minimum N/A, maximum N/A.
Time frame: After each salbutamol dose. Maximum 5 hours.
Plan to share: Undecided
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Tampere University