Highlight
- Neither hypertonic saline nor carbocisteine significantly reduced pulmonary exacerbations over one year in bronchiectasis patients.
- No differences were observed in disease-specific quality of life or time to next exacerbation among treatment groups.
- The large, open-label UK trial excluded smokers and recent mucoactive users, reflecting routine clinical populations.
- Adverse event rates, including serious adverse events, were comparable across intervention and control groups, supporting safety profiles.
Study Background and Disease Burden
