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. 2014 Mar 10;2014(3):CD006088. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006088.pub4

Aquilina 2001.

Methods Single‐centre, double‐blind, parallel, placebo‐controlled RCT. Method of recruitment was not specified
 Concomitant antitussives, mucolytics and beta‐2 agonist disallowed. Clinical evaluation performed on baseline, days 3, 7 and final. Participants assessed for signs and symptoms relevant to diagnosis of acute or chronic lung disease including sputum volume and characteristics, dyspnoea, cough, pulmonary auscultation, difficulty in expectorating
Compliance not mentioned. Inclusion and exclusion criteria described in next column
Description of withdrawals or drop‐outs not mentioned
Participants 14 participants allocated to neltenexine, 14 to placebo. 3 within group had pneumonia but data specific to pneumonia were unavailable
 Mean age of total group was 57.5 years (SD 3.04)
 Inclusion criteria: adults (aged > 18 years) with acute and chronic lung disease
 Exclusion criteria: pulmonary tuberculosis, lung cancer, allergy to neltenexine, severe bronchospasm (requiring beta‐2 agonist, corticosteroids or aminophylline), or pregnant or lactating women
Interventions Neltenexine (a mucolytic), 37.4 mg tds or placebo (1 tablet tds) for 10 to 12 days
Outcomes Overall physicians' assessment of efficacy scored: excellent, good, moderate, not satisfactory. Exact quantification unspecified
 Sputum volume, sputum characteristics (1 = serous to 5 = very purulent), and 5‐point scores for dyspnoea, cough, pulmonary auscultation, difficulty in expectorating, from 0 (absent) to 4 very severe
Notes Wrote to authors with no response
 Data for pneumonia alone not available
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Unclear risk Not specified
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Not specified
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Placebo used
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Placebo used
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk Drop‐outs unclear
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Unclear risk Data for pneumonia alone could not be extracted
Other bias Unclear risk Data for pneumonia alone could not be extracted. Single‐centre study; further information sought from trial authors with no response