PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Restrepo, Marcos I
AU  - Keyt, Holly
AU  - Reyes, Luis F
TI  - Aerosolized Antibiotics
AID  - 10.4187/respcare.04208
DP  - 2015 Jun 01
TA  - Respiratory Care
PG  - 762--773
VI  - 60
IP  - 6
4099  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/60/6/762.short
4100  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/60/6/762.full
AB  - Administration of medications via aerosolization is potentially an ideal strategy to treat airway diseases. This delivery method ensures high concentrations of the medication in the targeted tissues, the airways, with generally lower systemic absorption and systemic adverse effects. Aerosolized antibiotics have been tested as treatment for bacterial infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), non-CF bronchiectasis (NCFB), and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The most successful application of this to date is treatment of infections in patients with CF. It has been hypothesized that similar success would be seen in NCFB and in difficult-to-treat hospital-acquired infections such as VAP. This review summarizes the available evidence supporting the use of aerosolized antibiotics and addresses the specific considerations that clinicians should recognize when prescribing an aerosolized antibiotic for patients with CF, NCFB, and VAP.