Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 23, 2026

A Minimally Invasive Method for Intratracheal Instillation of Drugs in Neonatal Rodents to Treat Lung Disease
04:21

A Minimally Invasive Method for Intratracheal Instillation of Drugs in Neonatal Rodents to Treat Lung Disease

Published on: August 4, 2021

Inhalation therapy for infants

Mark L Everard1

  • 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TH, UK. meverard@sch.nhs.uk

Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews
|July 5, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Delivering inhaled medications to infants is challenging, with patient behavior significantly impacting lung drug delivery. Optimizing device-patient interaction, like mask design, is crucial for effective infant aerosol therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Respiratory Drug Delivery
  • Aerosol Science

Background:

  • Infant aerosol therapy presents significant delivery challenges, often limiting demonstrated therapeutic benefits.
  • Pulmonary disease characteristics in infants differ from older populations, complicating drug delivery.
  • Current research often overemphasizes aerosol properties (size, airway geometry) over patient factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the critical role of patient behavior and device interaction in infant aerosol drug delivery.
  • To analyze factors influencing drug deposition in the infant respiratory tract.
  • To provide insights for improving the efficacy of inhaled therapies in infants.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on aerosol drug delivery in infants.
  • Analysis of factors affecting lung deposition, including patient behavior and device design.
  • Comparison of infant versus adult drug delivery parameters.

Main Results:

  • Infant drug delivery to the lungs is highly dependent on patient behavior, not just aerosol characteristics.
  • Distressed infants receive minimal drug doses to the lungs.
  • While nominal doses are low, lung dose per body weight in infants is comparable to or exceeds adults.
  • Nasal breathing in infants leads to greater upper airway deposition compared to adults.

Conclusions:

  • Successful infant aerosol therapy hinges on optimizing patient-device interactions, particularly mask design.
  • Understanding infant breathing patterns and behavior is essential for effective drug delivery.
  • Despite challenges, lung drug delivery per kilogram in infants can be substantial, but upper airway deposition impacts therapeutic index.

More Related Videos

Intratracheal Instillation of Stem Cells in Term Neonatal Rats04:27

Intratracheal Instillation of Stem Cells in Term Neonatal Rats

Published on: May 4, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Inhaled Medications01:23

Inhaled Medications

Inhaled medications are crucial for managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. They are essential for effective treatment and control, ensuring optimal respiratory health and well-being. Inhaled medication delivers drugs directly to the lungs, providing a rapid onset of action and reducing systemic side effects compared to oral or injectable medications. Three primary types of inhalation devices are used to administer these medications: nebulizers, metered-dose inhalers...
Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview01:20

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview

Inhalation anesthetics are drugs that induce general anesthesia upon inhalation. They work by increasing the sensitivity of GABAA receptors or inhibiting NMDA receptors, leading to a decrease in central nervous system activity. The depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted by changing the concentration of the inhaled gas. Some common examples of inhalational anesthetics include volatile liquids like isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane and gases like xenon and nitrous oxide. Isoflurane, a...
Pulmonary Cycle: Exhalation01:17

Pulmonary Cycle: Exhalation

In terms of human respiration, the act of expelling air, known as exhalation (or expiration), operates on the principle of pressure gradients. During expiration, the pressure within the lungs exceeds that of the surrounding atmosphere. Under normal conditions, quiet breathing involves passive exhalation and is free of muscular contractions. This is because the exhalation process is driven by the natural elastic recoil of the lungs and chest wall, both of which have an inherent tendency to...
Breathing01:05

Breathing

The process of breathing, inhaling and exhaling, involves the coordinated movement of the chest wall, the lungs, and the muscles that move them. Two muscle groups with important roles in breathing are the diaphragm, located directly below the lungs, and the intercostal muscles, which lie between the ribs. When the diaphragm contracts, it moves downward, increasing the volume of the thoracic cavity and creating more room for the lungs to expand. When the intercostal muscles contract, the ribs...
Asthma-IV: Diagnostic and Management01:30

Asthma-IV: Diagnostic and Management

The diagnosis and management of asthma are comprehensive, encompassing clinical assessments, lung function tests, and pharmacological interventions. Here's an overview:
Clinical Assessment for Asthma:
This is the first step in diagnosing and managing asthma. It includes:
Additional Routes of Drug Administration01:18

Additional Routes of Drug Administration

Choosing the appropriate route of drug administration is significantly influenced by two key factors: the therapeutic objectives and the inherent properties of the drug being used.
Administering drugs via inhalation allows for the direct delivery of gaseous, volatile substances or droplets to different parts of the respiratory tract. One of the advantages of the inhalation route is the rapid absorption of drugs into the circulatory system, which is possible because of the large surface area of...