Estimation of a drug effect by a simplified radioaerosol inhalation lung cine-scintigraphy: bromhexine on mucociliary clearance mechanisms.

A proposed simplification of radioaerosol inhalation lung cine-scintigraphy, namely 60 min measurement of radioactivity without repeating measurement at 24 hr later and calculation of alveolar deposition ratio (ALDR) by the regression formula of ALDR = -48.08 + 0.47 X FEV1.0% + 0.59 X LRR60, was found useful and applicable even to the evaluation of a drug on mucociliary clearance mechanisms. The simplified method indicated a very similar evaluation of the effect of bromhexine on airway clearance efficiency with those actually revealed by the original method.