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7% saline continues to deliver.

MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Nov 19, 2021 | Replies (85)

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@halford

Does anyone know what the Mayo Clinic or National Jewish Health think of the 7% saline solution as a potential cure for MAC or keeping bacteria in check? Thank you, Hauoli

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Replies to "Does anyone know what the Mayo Clinic or National Jewish Health think of the 7% saline..."

When we talk about MAC, I have never heard anyone refer to curing it - only knocking it down to undetectable or at least asymptomatic levels.

In 2019, while I still had positive sputum cultures, I needed to stop antibiotic therapy. My ID doc and pulmonologist consulted with NJH, and supported the replacement of the Big 3 with 7% saline. Hypertonic saline, alone with regular use of an inhaler and daily airway clearance have kept me healthy for 19 months, except one small exacerbation 2 months ago. That was treated by amping up nebs and airway clearance for several weeks.

Here are some references I found from NJH:
There is a reference in a slide presentation in 2019 the showed a reduction in NTM with hypertonic saline: https://www.nationaljewish.org/NJH/media/ProEd/NTM%20Provider%202019/McShane-Bronchiectasis-NEW.pdf at slides 28-29
"Inhaled hypertonic saline may be used to loosen airway mucus for easier clearance. Common strengths of hypertonic saline are 3% and 7% and are generally used once or twice daily and are administered with a nebulizer." from Dr Huitt (https://www.nationaljewish.org/conditions/bronchiectasis/bronchiectasis-overview/treatment)

Here are results reported in a small on-going study of NTM patients in Europe. The conclusions were that it worked better with non-cavitary infections, and a larger randomized study was needed to support their conclusions. https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/erj/early/2019/04/05/13993003.02143-2018.full.pdf

I know there are docs at Mayo who support the 7% saline, but I couldn't find any published information.
Does this answer your questions?
Sue