The bronchospasm and worsening of the cough as adverse drug reactions after carbocysteine in children

摘要

The carbocysteine is a drug with mucolytic and expectorant properties similar to that of acetylcysteine[3]. Acetilcysteine has much more indications as a mucolitic medication in pulmonary diseases where viscousmucus secretions adherent to the airways walls are present [1]. It can also be used as an antidote in an acuteparacetamol (acetaminophen) intoxication. The acetylcysteine must be used with precaution in asthmatic patients(inducing the brochospasm) and in other bronchospastic diseases [1,2]. Some authors consider acetylcysteinebeing contraindicated in asthma [3]. The carbocysteine is one of the most prescribed mucolytic medication (atleast in our study) in the respiratory pathology in children. This drug is used under the name of some commercialpreparation such as Humex or Rhinatiol. Our study started with the observation that many children afterreceiving carbocysteine were presenting in our Paediatric Emergency Department (PED) showing a coughworsening and often brochospasm [4]. These information were obtained from the presenting disease historytaken from the parents and from the clinical examination (the presence of wheezing and rhonchi on auscultation).We consider that the worsening of the cough, the presence of wheezing and brochospasm are all adverse drugreactions (ADRs) produced by carbocysteine.