Bromhexine and mucociliary clearance in chronic bronchitis

Lung mucociliary clearance was assessed in 9 patients with chronic bronchitis from the rate of removal of previously inhaled particles tagged with a radioisotope (99mTc) before and after the administration of bromhexine (Bisolvon) 16 mg three times daily. Serial whole-lung gamma counts showed on average a small but statistically significant faster clearance after the drug than in identical control runs (P < 0·05). Rectilinear scans of the lung after inhalation showed that on the whole tracer particles penetrated further and were deposited nearer to the periphery of the lung after bromhexine than in the control series; the difference was small but statistically significant (P < 0·01).