In medicine, a nebulizer is a device used to administer medication in the form of a mist inhaled into the lungs.
Nebulizers use oxygen, compressed air or ultrasonic power to break up medical solutions and suspensions into small aerosol droplets that can be directly inhaled from the mouthpiece of the device.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma/
The definition of an aerosol is a "mixture of gas and liquid particles," and the best example of a naturally-occurring aerosol is mist, formed when small vaporized water particles mixed with hot ambient air are cooled down and condense into a fine cloud of visible airborne water droplets.
When using a nebulizer for inhalation therapy with medication to be administered directly to the lungs, it is important to note that inhaled aerosol droplets can only penetrate into the narrow branches of the lower airways if they have a small diameter of 1–5 micrometers. Otherwise they are only absorbed by the mouth cavity, where the effect is low
Recent evidence show that nebulizers are no more effective than metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) with spacers and that MDIs may offer advantages in children with acute asthma
Nebulizers use oxygen, compressed air or ultrasonic power to break up medical solutions and suspensions into small aerosol droplets that can be directly inhaled from the mouthpiece of the device.
The definition of an aerosol is a "mixture of gas and liquid particles," and the best example of a naturally-occurring aerosol is mist, formed when small vaporized water particles mixed with hot ambient air are cooled down and condense into a fine cloud of visible airborne water droplets.
When using a nebulizer for inhalation therapy with medication to be administered directly to the lungs, it is important to note that inhaled aerosol droplets can only penetrate into the narrow branches of the lower airways if they have a small diameter of 1–5 micrometers. Otherwise they are only absorbed by the mouth cavity, where the effect is low
Recent evidence show that nebulizers are no more effective than metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) with spacers and that MDIs may offer advantages in children with acute asthma
Holding chambers (spacers) versus nebulisers for beta-agonist treatment of acute asthma
In acute asthma attacks higher doses of inhaled β2-agonists (reliever inhalers) are used to overcome the narrowing of the passages in the lungs. The medication can be given by wet nebulisation or from an inhaler with a spacer device (holding chamber). This review now includes in-patient studies, as well as those in casualty and community setting, comparing these two delivery methods in acute asthma attacks. In adults, no important differences were found between the two methods, whilst in children those randomised to wet nebulisation spent longer in casualty. Metered-dose inhalers with a spacer can perform at least as well as wet nebulisation in delivering β2-agonists in acute asthma.
Reference:
Holding chambers (spacers) versus nebulisers for beta-agonist treatment of acute asthma
Editorial Group: Cochrane Airways Group
Published Online: 21 JAN 2009
Assessed as up-to-date: 21 JUL 2008
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000052.pub2
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