[Experiences with oral N-acetyl-cysteine treatment in children suffering from cystic fibrosis (author's transl)].

A clinical test with the oral use of Fluimucil was performed by ourselves: Forty-two children, who had been in stable condition for 8--10 years under inhalation therapy with Mucosolvin, were treated for a period of 6 months with Fluimucil used orally. We compared the clinical, bronchoscopic and lung function finding s before and after the 6-month period. In the case of 7 children the oral treatment had to be discontinued and replaced by a resumption of inhalation therapy after 6 to 12 weeks on an account of an exacerbation of the lungstate. The bronchoscopic studies showed results worse in 44% of the cases, unchanged in 22%, and improved in 34%. For lung-function the figures were 31%, 51% and 18% respectively. We can conclude from our results that it is not possible to replace inhalation therapy by an oral treatment for all children with cystic fibrosis. We can, however, surmise that such a treatment will be possible for 50--60% of the children and this must be considered as a significant step forward in the care of these children.