aerosol drug therapy is a type of treatment that uses a special device to deliver medication
directly to the lungs in the form of a fine mist this type of therapy is also sometimes referred
to as inhalation therapy and can be used to treat a wide range of respiratory diseases
we created this video to provide a brief overview of this topic and we will discuss how aerosols
are used to treat respiratory conditions so if you're ready let's get into it so what exactly is
aerosol drug therapy first and foremost an aerosol is a suspension of fine particles
dispersed in air or gas they are generated by nebulizers and inhalers which break up liquid
or powder medications into particles small enough that can be inhaled into the lungs this is known
as aerosol drug therapy which can be used to treat a wide variety of respiratory conditions
including asthma copd bronchitis and cystic fibrosis the primary goal of aerosol drug therapy
is to deliver a dose of a specific drug to the lungs in order to achieve a therapeutic effect
the effectiveness of aerosol therapy depends on several factors including aerosol output particle
size deposition and delivery now let's talk about the different aerosol drug delivery systems
a specialized device is required to generate aerosols in order for this type of therapy to
occur there are three primary types of aerosol delivery systems which are metered dose inhalers
dry powder inhalers and nebulizers there are pros cons advantages and disadvantages of each type
the technique for drug delivery is also different for each device
first let's talk about the metered dose inhaler or mdi a metered dose inhaler is a type of inhaler
that uses a pressurized canister to deliver a specific amount of medication in aerosol form
the patient can activate the device while inhaling to receive a dose of the drug one
of the primary advantages of this type of inhaler is that they're portable and easy
to use they're also consistent in the amount of medication that is delivered with each inhalation
mdis are the preferred aerosol delivery method for the maintenance delivery of bronchodilators
and steroids in spontaneously breathing patients however they are highly technique dependent this
means that you must instruct the patient on how to properly use the device otherwise they
may not receive the full dose of the desired medication to reduce oropharyngeal deposition
and the need for hand breath coordination spacers and valved holding chambers can be used
they are accessory devices that attach to the inhaler and hold the medication in a chamber
with one-way valves this makes it easier for the patient to inhale the medication and reduces waste
next we have the dry powder inhaler or dpi it is a breath actuated device that delivers aerosols
in the form of fine powder particles that can reach the lungs by inhalation
dry powder inhalers are advantageous because they do not require a propellant for use
in addition the patient does not need hand breath coordination in order to receive a
drug dose from this type of device however one of the primary disadvantages of dry powder inhalers
is that their operation depends on turbulent flow and the patient's inspiratory flow rate
in other words the patient must be able to perform a deep and fast inhalation
in order to receive a drug dose from this device and the third type of aerosol delivery system is
a nebulizer a nebulizer is a device that uses compressed air or ultrasonic waves to break up
liquid into aerosol particles that can be inhaled into lungs it requires the use of a face mask or
mouthpiece in order for the drug delivery to occur nebulizers are the preferred drug delivery method
for patients who are unable to use that inhaler or for those who require high doses of medication
there are three primary types of nebulizers used in aerosol drug therapy jet nebulizers ultrasonic
nebulizers and vibrating mesh nebulizers each type has its own advantages and disadvantages
jet nebulizers are the most common type this includes small volume nebulizers
and large volume nebulizers which are commonly used in the acute care setting
ultrasonic nebulizers use a piezoelectric crystal to generate aerosol particles by converting
electrical signals into high frequency vibrations these have the ability to generate a higher
aerosol output than jet nebulizers vibrating mesh nebulizers use a mesh with tiny holes that
vibrate at a high frequency to produce aerosol particles these have the advantage of being able
to generate a consistent particle size and have a higher respirable fraction than jet nebulizers
so now let's talk about the hazards of aerosol drug therapy
most of the hazards that occur when delivering aerosol drugs involve an adverse reaction to
the medication that is being administered to the patient however some other hazards that can occur
include infection airway reactivity pulmonary effects of the drug systemic effects of the drug
eye irritation and secondhand exposure infection can be avoided by using sterile equipment
and techniques when administering aerosol drugs airway reactivity can be avoided by monitoring the
patient closely during therapy adverse pulmonary and systemic effects of a drug can be minimized
by using the proper dose and delivery method eye irritation can be avoided by using eye shields
or by avoiding direct contact with the eyes secondhand exposure can be minimized by using
ventilation systems and by avoiding close contact with others while administering aerosol drugs
as you can see aerosol drug therapy is a very important subject which is why you must develop
an understanding of what it is what conditions it's used to treat the different types of inhalers
and nebulizers and when they're indicated or not in specific types of patients this is a
type of therapy that respiratory therapists are involved in on a daily basis so it's probably
a good idea to develop an understanding of this topic hopefully you can use this video along with
other resources on our channel and website to make the learning process much easier but again
for this video we just wanted to provide you with a brief overview of this topic
we'll be diving deeper into each of the sub-topics that were mentioned in separate videos but real
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videos like this hopefully what you learned in this video was useful and can help you develop
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and if you want to learn even more we do have a full guide on our website
i will drop a link to it right below this video down in the description thank you so
much for watching all the way to the end have a blessed day and as always breathe easy my friend
you