Aerosol delivery to wheezy infants: A comparison between a nebulizer and two small volume spacers
✍ Scribed by Johannes H. Wildhaber; Sunalene G. Devadason; Mark J. Hayden; Ernst Eber; Quentin A. Summers; Peter N. LeSouëf
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1997
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 70 KB
- Volume
- 23
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 8755-6863
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✦ Synopsis
Inhalation therapy for wheezy infants with either a nebulizer or a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) through a spacer is common practice. The aim of our study was to compare aerosol delivery to wheezy infants from a nebulizer and from a pMDI via two small volume spacers. Twenty wheezy infants (aged 4-12 months) were recruited. They inhaled salbutamol from a Pari-Babyா nebulizer, from a detergent-coated Babyhalerா, and from a Ne-buchamberா in random order. A filter was placed between the inhalation systems and the patients. The amount of salbutamol deposited on the filter was measured using an ultraviolet spectrophotometer and was expressed as a percentage of the total nebulized or actuated doses. The mean total nebulized dose for the Pari-Babyா (1030 µg) was higher (P < 0.001) than the mean actuated dose from a pMDI for the Babyhalerா (374 µg) and for the Nebuchamberா (378 µg). Mean drug deposition on the filter was 40.2% (150 µg) of the total actuated dose for the detergent-coated Babyhalerா and 40.7% (154 µg) of the total actuated dose for the Nebucham-berா. There was no significant difference in drug deposition on the filter between the two spacers. Mean drug deposition on the filter was 25.3% (260 µg) of the total nebulized dose for the Pari-Babyா nebulizer. There was no weight dependence in drug deposition on the filter for the two spacers, but, drug deposition increased with the subject's weight for the nebulizer. We have shown that aerosol delivery to wheezy infants from a pMDI through small volume spacers is effective and that a higher percentage of the total amount of salbutamol is delivered than from a nebulizer. The weight dependence in drug deposition for the nebulizer can be of clinical relevance.