PubMed Health⌕ Search
Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 10147678

Inhalation therapy: alternative systems--an overview.

A Knecht
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Three possibilities exist, in principle, to apply medication by inhalation: (1) Inhalation from Pressurized Metered Dose Inhalers (2) Direct Inhalation of Dry Powder (3) Inhalation of Nebulized Aqueous Solutions. Chlorofluorocarbons that are necessary for pressurized metered dose inhalers have unwanted environmental properties. Therefore, alternative gases are being developed (HFA-134a and HFA 227) on the premise that pressurized metered dose aerosols in airways therapy have distinct advantages which are reflected in the high acceptance and application of these MDIs worldwide. Dry powder inhalation requires sophisticated devices to provide for exact dosing. For nebulizers the major problem was their size and consequently their restricted use. Multi-dose pocket-size systems are on the market for (1) and (2). For nebulization such a system is currently being introduced. A critical comparison of benefits and disadvantages of the existing drug delivery systems to the airways leads to the conclusion that all three modes will remain essential to cover the therapeutic needs for a wide variety of drugs and patient populations.

Explore related subjects

Administration, InhalationAerosolsEquipment DesignHumansNebulizers and VaporizersPowdersJournal ArticleReview

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

A Knecht. 1991. Inhalation therapy: alternative systems--an overview.. https://doi.org/10.1089/jam.1991.4.189

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed2008

Concurrent carbogen and radiation therapy in children with high-risk brainstem gliomas.

In an attempt to improve local control, we assessed the feasibility of the addition of 4 min of carbogen inhalation (as a radiosensitizer) to daily fractionated radiotherapy in pediatric patients with high grade and/or diffuse brainstem gliomas. Ten patients inhaled carbogen for >90% of the radiation treatments. Median survival time from start of therapy was 0.80 years. Carbogen inhalation did not appear to improve the dismal prognosis.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed2007

2. Advances in pharmacotherapy for COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most common chronic lung disease in the world. In 1999, COPD ranked sixth among the most common causes of death and twelfth as a worldwide burden of disease. It has been estimated that by the year 2020 COPD will be the third leading cause of death and fifth as a worldwide burden of disease. Thus, COPD is a major medical problem and there is evidence that it is increasing throughout the world. Despite recognition of COPD as an important international health problem, COPD has been neglected among common diseases, with little investment in research on its underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Recently, global and Japanese guidelines for COPD have been published. These guidelines seem to be useful to improve the underdiagnosis and undertreatment of COPD. In this review, I describe briefly the current recommendation for pharmacological therapy of stable COPD according to the global and Japanese guidelines for COPD.

Administration, Inhalation↗