Effect of Inhaled Tiotropium on Spirometric Parameters in Patients with Tuberculous Destroyed Lung

BACKGROUND: In Korea, patients with destroyed lung due to tuberculosis (TB) account for a significant portion of those affected by chronic pulmonary function impairment. The objective of our research was to evaluate the efficacy of inhaled tiotropium bromide in TB destroyed lung. METHODS: We compared the effectiveness of inhaled tiotropium bromide for 2 months between pre- and post-treatment pulmonary function tests performed on 29 patients with destroyed lung due to TB. RESULTS: The mean age of the total number of patients was 63±9 years, where 15 patients were male. The pre-treatment mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) was 1.02±0.31 L (44.1±16.0% predicted). The pre-treatment mean forced vital capacity (FVC) was 1.70±0.54 L (52.2±15.8% predicted). Overall, the change in FEV(1)% predicted over baseline with tiotropium was 19.5±19.1% (p<0.001). Twenty patients (72%) got better than a 10% increase in FEV(1) over baseline with tiotropium, but one patient showed more than a 10% decrease in FEV(1). Overall, the change in FVC% predicted over baseline with tiotropium was 18.5±19.9% (p<0.001). Seventeen patients (59%) experienced greater than a 10% increase in FVC over baseline with tiotropium; 12 (41%) patients had stable lung function. CONCLUSION: The inhaled tiotropium bromide therapy may lead to improve lung functions in patients with TB destroyed lung. However, the long-term effectiveness of this treatment still needs to be further assessed.