Journal of aerosol medicine and pulmonary drug delivery
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J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv · Feb 2013
Comparative StudyEffect of switching tiotropium HandiHaler® to Respimat® Soft Mist™ Inhaler in patients with COPD: the difference of adverse events and usability between inhaler devices.
Recently, tiotropium Respimat® Soft Mist™ Inhaler has been developed. Respimat is a multidose and propellant-free kit. The aerosol generated from Respimat improved lung drug deposition and required a lower dose of drug than HandiHaler®. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of switching from tiotropium HandiHaler to Respimat in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ There was no major problem in switching from tiotropium HandiHaler to Respimat. Respimat and HandiHaler showed similar effects and usability. However, we should be aware of cough just after inhalation with Respimat.
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J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv · Feb 2013
ReviewAir pollution during pregnancy and neonatal outcome: a review.
There is increasing evidence of the adverse impact of prenatal exposure to air pollution. This is of particular interest, as exposure during pregnancy--a crucial time span of important biological development--may have long-term implications. The aims of this review are to show current epidemiological evidence of known effects of prenatal exposure to air pollution and present possible mechanisms behind this process. ⋯ So-called "tracking" of somatic growth and lung function is believed to have a huge impact on long-term morbidity, especially from a public health perspective. This is particularly important in areas with high levels of outdoor pollution, where it is practically impossible for an individual to avoid exposure. Especially in these areas, good evidence for the association between prenatal exposure to air pollution and infant mortality exists, clearly indicating the need for more stringent measures to reduce exposure to air pollution.
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J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv · Feb 2013
ReviewLung physiology and aerosol deposition imaged with positron emission tomography.
Physiological conditions and pathophysiological changes in the lungs may affect many applications in aerosol medicine and pulmonary drug delivery. In the diseased lung, spatial heterogeneity in function and structure may cause substantial changes in aerosol transport and local deposition among different lung regions. Non-uniform aerosol deposition affects airway or tissue pharmacological dosing, which could reduce the therapeutic effectiveness of inhalation therapy. ⋯ These examples demonstrate that it is possible to access both preexisting conditions, such as heterogeneity of ventilation, perfusion, and/or inflammatory stimuli, which may affect inhalation therapy, and the functional effects of inhaled medications or inflammatory agents on lung regional function. The imaging techniques described could be efficient tools to evaluate quantitatively and noninvasively these processes in vivo. Furthermore, it can be expected that imaging of respiratory structure and function will yield sensitive biomarkers of disease, which will help and speed drug discovery, and the evaluation of novel inhalation therapies.