Intravenous Magnesium in Wheezy Bronchitis

In infants and toddlers wheezy bronchitis is a common viral disease. To relieve wheezing symptoms bronchodilators or corticosteroids are commonly used but the efficacy is not always satisfactory. The purpose of this trial is to investigate the effectiveness of iv-magnesium in the treatment of moderate or severe bronchial obstruction associated with viral infection in small children. The study population will include the children attending the Pediatric Emergency Department of Oulu University Hospital because of respiratory infection and bronchial obstruction that is not relieved with conventional treatment. After written consent from the parents, the children will be randomized to get either intravenous magnesium sulfate or isotonic NaCl. The primary outcome is RDAI (Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument) scoring six hours from the infusion. Secondary endpoints are RDAI scoring and oxygen saturation at other time points and length of hospital stay. The sample size is 64 children at the age of 6 months to 4 years. If iv-magnesium is effective in relieving viral infection associated bronchial obstruction, that would be an important addition to the treatment of this common disease.