Inhalation drug delivery devices nebulizers

Administration Iloprost is intended for inhalation administration only via the Prodose AAD system, a pulmonary drug delivery device. It has not been studied with any other nebulizers. 

Delivery devices play a major role in the efficiency of pulmonary delivery, and major advances have been made in the development of new devices in recent years. The most commonly used devices for pulmonary drug delivery include nebulizers, metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) and dry-powder inhalers (DPIs). These de-... 

In the United States, federal regulation of aerosol doses varies with devices. The metered-dose inhaler (MDI) utilizes a metering valve that is highly regulated and functionally precise. Nebulizers as drug delivery systems are essentially unregulated. 

Nebulizers can be tested in a given ventilator circuit and, as shown in Fig. 22, the choice of nebulizer can have a significant impact on drug delivery. Inhaled mass versus time is shown for a number of common nebulizers, including the devices first tested in Fig. 5. Devices shown to be efficient for spontaneously breathing patients are often even more efficient on the ventilator provided that the ventila-... 

Nebulizers fitted with a T-mouthpiece have an unrestricted flow of ambient air passing through the nebulizer output, supplying inhaled air flow, which effectively increases drug output. In vented nebulizers, the inhaled air must flow through the droplet production region. Therefore, the breathing pattern of the patient has an effect on the aerosol characteristics produced by such devices. The delivery efficiency of... 

Nebulizers are useful when large doses of drug are to be inhaled by patients too ill to use alternative devices and when drugs are not available for delivery from pMDIs and DPIs. 

Pulmonary delivery of drugs is the administration route of choice in respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Different devices are available, including metered-dose inhalers, dry powder inhalers, and nebulizers, and nearly 80% of asthmatic patients worldwide use metered dose inhalers (1). Chlorofluorocarbons have been used as an aerosol propellant in metered-dose inhalers however, they deplete the ozone layer and are being replaced by more environment-friendly propellants, even though the contribution of aerosols of this type to the total global burden of chlorofluorocarbons is less than 0.5%. The first chloro-fluorocarbon-free metered-dose inhaler for asthma treatment was approved by the FDA in 1996 (2) and the European Union has set 2005 as a target date for the withdrawal of all chlorofluorocarbon-based inhalers (1). In the USA, prescriptions for chlorofluorocarbon-free medications rose from 16.4 million in 1996 to 33.8 million in 2000 (2). Most of the chlorofluorocarbon-free medications were steroids for nasal use (27.2 million). However, chlorofluorocarbon-containing medications stiU represented two-thirds of all prescriptions and increased from 63.0 to 67.6 million dispensed (2). 

In cases of severe asthmatic attacks, bronchodila-tors and steroids for direct delivery to the lungs may be needed in large doses. This is achieved by direct inhalation via a nebulizer device this converts a liquid into a mist or fine spray. The drug is diluted in small volumes of Water for Injections before loading into the reservoir of the machine. This vehicle must be sterile and preservative-free and is therefore prepared as a terminally sterilized unit dose in polyethylene nebules. 

---