Abstract
BACKGROUND: Aerosol delivery through mechanical ventilation is influenced by the type of aerosol generator, pattern of nebulization, and a patient's breathing pattern. This study compares the efficiency of pneumatic nebulization modes provided by a ventilator with adult and pediatric in vitro lung models.
METHODS: Three pneumatic nebulization modes (inspiratory intermittent [IIM], continuous [CM], and expiratory intermittent [EIM]) provided by the Galileo Gold ventilator delivered medical aerosol to collection filters distal to an endotracheal tube with adult and pediatric test lungs. A unit dose of 5 mg/2.5 mL albuterol was diluted into 4 mL with distilled water and added to a jet nebulizer. The nebulizer was placed proximal to the ventilator, 15 cm from the inlet of the heated humidifier chamber with a T-piece and corrugated aerosol tubing and powered by gas from the ventilator in each of the 3 modes. Time for nebulization was recorded in minutes. Albuterol samples collected in the inhalation filter, nebulizer, T-piece, and corrugated tubing were eluted with distilled water and analyzed with a spectrophotometer.
RESULTS: The inhaled drug, as a percentage of total dose in both lung models, was 5.1–7.5%, without statistical significance among the 3 modes. Median nebulization times for IIM, CM, and EIM were 38.9, 14.3, and 17.7 min, respectively, and nebulization time for the 3 modes significantly differed (P < .001). The inhaled drug mass for the 3 modes with the adult lung model was similar to that with the pediatric lung model (7.39 ± 0.76 vs 6.27 ± 0.69%, P = .77).
CONCLUSIONS: Aerosol drug delivery with a jet nebulizer placed proximal to the ventilator was not dependent on nebulization mode during simulated pediatric and adult conventional mechanical ventilation. Use of expiratory intermittent mode and continuous nebulization should be considered to reduce treatment time.
- aerosol drug delivery
- bronchodilator
- small-volume nebulizer
- endotracheal tube
- mechanical ventilation
- nebulization mode
Footnotes
- Correspondence: Hui-Ling Lin MSc RRT RN FAARC, Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Haw 1st, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan County, Taiwan. E-mail: huilingrrt{at}gmail.com.
Ms Lin presented a version of this paper at the Open Forum of the AARC Congress 2012, held November 10–13, 2012, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Dr Fink is a consultant to Aerogen, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Dance Biopharm, Novartis, ONY, Parion, Aridis Pharmaceuticals, and the World Health Organization. The other authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest.
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