Ipratropium bromide, sold under the brand name Atrovent among others, is a type of anticholinergic medication which is applied by different routes: inhaler, nebulizer, or nasal spray, for different reasons.[1][2]
The nasal spray prevents the glands in the nose from producing large amounts of fluid.[5][6] It is used to treat rhinorrhea (runny nose) caused by allergic rhinitis, nonallergic rhinitis,[5] and the common cold.[7][2] It is used by metered-dose manual pump spray. Onset of action is within an hour.[7]
Common side effects of nasal spray may include headache, dry nose, dry mouth or throat, nasal or throat irritation, nosebleeds, bad taste in mouth, nausea, dizziness, or constipation.[7] Potentially serious side effects are unusual, but include severe allergic reaction, eye pain or change in vision, or urinary retention. It is considered safe during pregnancy, but it can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby.[11]
Ipratropium bromide was patented in 1966, and approved for medical use in 1974.[12] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most important medicines needed in a health system.[13] Ipratropium is available as a generic medication.[3] In 2022, it was the 219th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1million prescriptions.[14][15]
It is also used to treat and prevent minor and moderate bronchial asthma, especially asthma that is accompanied by cardiovascular system diseases, as it has been shown to produce fewer cardiovascular side effects.[18]
Ipratropium as a nasal solution sprayed into the nostrils can reduce rhinorrhea (runny nose) but will not help nasal congestion.[19] It is supplied in a metered-dose manual pump spray.[7]
Conditions such as narrow-angle glaucoma, prostatic hyperplasia, or bladder neck obstruction are not necessarily contraindicators, but should be taken into account, particularly if the patient is receiving an anticholinergic by another route.[2]
Peanut allergy
Previously, Atrovent inhalers used chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) as a propellant and contained soy lecithin in the propellant ingredients. In 2008 all CFC inhalers were phased out and hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) inhalers replaced them. Allergy to peanuts was noted for the inhaler as a contraindication but now is not. It has never been a contraindication when administered as a nebulized solution.[22]
Urinary retention has been reported in patients receiving doses by nebulizer. As a result, caution may be warranted, especially by men with prostatic hypertrophy.[23]
Common side effects of nasal spray are experienced at a rate of 1-6% (versus the control group of 0-3%), and may include headache, dry nose, dry mouth or throat, nasal or throat irritation, nosebleeds, bad taste in mouth, nausea, dizziness, or constipation.[7][24] Potentially serious side effects from nasal spray are rare, but include severe allergic reaction, eye pain or change in vision, or difficulty urinating.[6]
Accidental contact with the eye should be avoided.
Interactions
Interactions with other anticholinergics like tricyclic antidepressants, anti-Parkinson drugs and quinidine, which theoretically increase side effects, are clinically irrelevant when ipratropium is administered as an inhalant.[20][21]
Chemically, ipratropium bromide is a quaternary ammonium compound (which is indicated by the -ium per the BAN and the USAN) [25] obtained by treating atropine with isopropyl bromide, thus the name: isopropyl + atropine.[citation needed] It is chemically related to components of the plant Datura stramonium, which was used in ancient India for asthma.[26]
Ipratropium exhibits broncholytic action by reducing cholinergic influence on the bronchial musculature. It blocks muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, without specificity for subtypes, and therefore promotes the degradation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), resulting in a decreased intracellular concentration of cGMP.[27] Most likely due to actions of cGMP on intracellular calcium, this results in decreased contractility of smooth muscle in the lung, inhibiting bronchoconstriction and mucussecretion. It is a nonselective muscarinicantagonist,[20] and does not diffuse into the blood, which prevents systemic side effects. Ipratropium is a derivative of atropine[3] but is a quaternary amine and therefore does not cross the blood–brain barrier, which prevents central side effects. Ipratropium should never be used in place of salbutamol (albuterol) as a rescue medication.
^ abcdefghij"Ipratropium Bromide". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
^Al-Ahmad M, Hassab M, Al Ansari A (21 December 2020). "Allergic and Non-allergic Rhinitis". Textbook of Clinical Otolaryngology. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 241–252. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-54088-3_22. ISBN978-3-030-54087-6. S2CID234142758. Nasal anticholinergics such as ipratropium bromide 0.03% are effective in controlling rhinorrhea, but do not relief other nasal symptoms. They block muscarinic receptors, leading to a decrease in the parasympathetic function.
^World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
^Aaron SD (October 2001). "The use of ipratropium bromide for the management of acute asthma exacerbation in adults and children: a systematic review". The Journal of Asthma. 38 (7): 521–530. doi:10.1081/jas-100107116. PMID11714074. S2CID7335677.
^"History of Asthma". Allergy And Asthma. 21 December 2017. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020. ... India, smoking the herb stramonium (an anticholinergic agent related to ipratropium and tiotropium currently used in inhalers) was used to relax the lungs.