ABSTRACT

Inhaled therapy has been used for over 200 years in asthma treatment. It is, to this day, considered to be the most effective and preferred therapy for asthma patients. Aerosols have therapeutic effect on the airway when the particle size (measured in mass median aerodynamic diameter MMAD) is between 1 and 5 microns. Jet and ultrasonic nebulizers are still the favorite means of administration for they have proven themselves very effective. The metered dose (MDI) and dry powder (DPI) inhalers are also frequently used in the treatment of asthma. They have been proven effective with no disadvantages when compared with nebulization. The most commonly used inhaled drugs include B2 agonists and steroids. There is no significant difference in asthma treatment when the different methods of administration are compared, however, the inhalation technique, especially with MDI with and without spacer and DPI, is directly related to the effectiveness of the drug.

KEYWORDS

Aerosol, mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD), metered dose inhaler (MDI), dry powder inhaler (DPI), nebulization, inhaler techniques.

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