| Topical delivery of antimicrobials to the paranasal | | | | Inhalers are portable, hand-held devices that are |
| sinuses has intuitive advantages over systemic | | | | available in two types:o Metered dose inhalers (MDI) |
| therapy for treatment of sinusitis. Some of the more | | | | are the most commonly prescribed. Like mini-aerosol |
| effective treatment methods of topical delivery to | | | | cans, these devices push out a pre-measured spray |
| infected areas are with the use of aerosolized | | | | of medicine. When the person squeezes the inhaler, a |
| medications. There are different devices to deliver | | | | measured "puff" of medicine is released.o Dry |
| aerosolized medicine. Two kinds of such devices are | | | | powder inhalers deliver medicine in powder form, but |
| nebulizers and inhalers. | | | | it doesn't spray out. The patient must do more of |
| Inhalers and nebulizers are two different devices | | | | the work, by inhaling the powdered medicine quickly |
| used to deliver rescue or controller respiratory | | | | and quite forcefully (which is often difficult for very |
| medications directly into your lungs. Your doctor can | | | | young children). |
| decide what type of device is best for you. | | | | If you use a metered dose inhaler, you may also use |
| Nebulizers | | | | a spacer, which attaches to the inhaler and makes it |
| Nebulizers are electric- or battery-powered machines | | | | easier to use. A spacer is a kind of holding chamber |
| that turn liquid respiratory medicine into a fine mist | | | | for the medicine, which eliminates the need to closely |
| that's inhaled into the lungs. The child breathes in the | | | | coordinate squeezing the inhaler and inhaling the |
| mist through a mouthpiece or facemask, a plastic cup | | | | medicine. With an inhaler and spacer, the medicine can |
| that covers the child's mouth and nose. Nebulizers | | | | be inhaled slowly when you are ready. It is possible |
| vary in size and shape. | | | | for very small children and even babies to receive |
| Keep in mind when using a nebulizer, particularly with | | | | their medications using a metered dose inhaler with a |
| a child:o An individual doesn't have to "do" anything to | | | | spacer. |
| receive the medicine, except stay in one place and | | | | Spacers also make inhalers more effective. When |
| accept the mouthpiece or facemask.o It usually takes | | | | using an inhaler without a spacer, the medicine may |
| about 5 or 10 minutes to give someone medication | | | | go into the back of the throat but may not actually |
| by nebulizer, and sometimes even longer.o Nebulizers | | | | move down into the lower airways. A spacer helps |
| may be less effective if a child is crying while they're | | | | to deliver the medicine into the lower airways, which |
| being used, since less medicine is inhaled when a child | | | | is where it needs to go to work properly. |
| is crying. | | | | Even if a nebulizer poses some disadvantages, it still |
| Some of the disadvantages of nebulizers are:o They | | | | carries one big advantage: it can deposit smaller-sized |
| can be bulkyo Can be noisyo May need to be | | | | particles into your system. As proven in a clinical |
| plugged ino Can come with complicated instructionso | | | | study posted recently, treatment is more effective |
| Has several parts that you have to assemble before | | | | with smaller particles since they reach the target |
| use | | | | destination (usually the place of infection) faster. |
| Inhalers | | | | |