What Does Nebulization Mean? And What Medications Are Commonly Used for It?

Update Date: 2024-05-21 Source: Network

Nebulization is a therapeutic method that involves using inhalation devices to mix drugs and solvents to form aerosols, which can deposit in bronchial tubes and alveoli at various levels after inhalation, thus achieving the effects of treating diseases, improving symptoms, moisturizing airways, and diluting airway secretions. Commonly used drugs include budesonide, beclomethasone dipropionate, and fluticasone propionate.

Nebulization involves the use of inhalation devices to mix drugs and solvents to form aerosols, which deposit in bronchial tubes and alveoli at various levels after inhalation, achieving therapeutic effects such as treating diseases, improving symptoms, moisturizing airways, and diluting airway secretions. The drugs can act on respiratory mucosa and various receptors beneath the mucosa after inhalation, exerting local therapeutic effects with minimal systemic absorption, avoiding elimination effects, low dosage, minor side effects, and high safety. The therapeutic effects of nebulization are related to factors such as the diameter of inhaled aerosol particles, different inhalation devices, patient skills and abilities, and disease conditions. ICS (Inhaled Corticosteroids) available in China for nebulization include budesonide, beclomethasone dipropionate, and fluticasone propionate, which have similar mechanisms of action, indications, and contraindications but also differ in pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.

Antibiotics commonly used for nebulization clinically include aminoglycosides such as amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin, beta-lactams such as aztreonam and ceftazidime, colistin, and antifungal agents such as amphotericin B. The characteristics of nebulized antibiotics are high lung concentration after inhalation and few systemic adverse reactions. Currently, there are no specifically formulated antibacterial agents for nebulization in China, therefore, it is not recommended to use intravenous antibacterial agents as a substitute for nebulized formulations. Some intravenous formulations contain preservatives that may induce bronchial asthma and other diseases after inhalation.