Inhaled bronchodilators for acute chest syndrome in people with sickle cell disease

Background Bronchodilators are used to treat bronchial hyper‐responsiveness in asthma. Bronchial hyper‐responsiveness may be a component of acute chest syndrome in people with sickle cell disease. Therefore, bronchodilators may be useful in the treatment of acute chest syndrome. This is an update of a previously published Cochrane Review. Objectives The aim of the review is to determine whether the use of inhaled, short‐acting bronchodilators for acute chest syndrome reduces morbidity and mortality in people with sickle cell disease and to assess whether this treatment causes adverse effects. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group's Trials Register comprising references identified from comprehensive electronic database searches, handsearches of relevant journals and books of conference proceedings. Additional searches were carried out on MEDLINE (1966 to 2004) and Embase (1981 to 2004) and ongoing trial registries (28 September 2022). Date of the most recent search of the Group's Haemoglobinopathies Trials Register: 25 July 2022. Selection criteria Randomised or quasi‐randomised controlled trials. Trials using quasi‐randomisation methods will be included in future updates of this review if there is sufficient evidence that the treatment and control groups are similar at baseline. Data collection and analysis We found no trials investigating the use of bronchodilators for acute chest syndrome in people with sickle cell disease. Main results We found no trials investigating the use of bronchodilators for acute chest syndrome in people with sickle cell disease. Authors' conclusions If bronchial hyper‐responsiveness is an important component of some episodes of acute chest syndrome in people with sickle cell disease, the use of inhaled bronchodilators may be indicated. There is need for a well‐designed, adequately‐powered randomised controlled trial to assess the benefits and risks of the addition of inhaled bronchodilators to established therapies for acute chest syndrome in people with sickle cell disease.