NCOP
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 394
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 09 September 2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 28)
Mr S H Plaatjie (COPE-NW) to ask the Minister of Health:
(1) Whether his department has conducted any study to determine health
(a) benefits and (b) risks in the use of nebulised hypertonic saline
solution for acute bronchiolitis in infants; if not, why not; if so,
what are the relevant details;
(2) whether his department intends to promote the use of nebulised
hypertonic saline solution as the standard treatment to (a) reduce the
length of hospitalisation and (b) improve clinical severity score in
infants with acute viral bronchiolitis; if not, why not; if so, what
are the relevant details;
(3) whether he will make a statement on the matter?
CW493E
REPLY:
1) The Department of Health has not conducted any studies.
2) Yes we are investigating the use and have referred this matter to the
Essential Drug List (EDL) Committee. The EDL Committee will explore
the evidence before it is included in the Standard Treatment
Guidelines.
3) Not until the EDL Committee made a decision on the matter.
END.