Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Evaluating Regional Pulmonary Deposition using Patient-Specific 3D Printed Lung Models
07:56

Evaluating Regional Pulmonary Deposition using Patient-Specific 3D Printed Lung Models

Published on: November 11, 2020

Deposition of aerosols in infants and children

Karen G Schüepp1, Daniel Straub, Alexander Möller

  • 1Swiss Paediatric Respiratory Research Group, Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.

Journal of Aerosol Medicine : the Official Journal of the International Society for Aerosols in Medicine
|August 6, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Optimizing aerosol therapy for children requires specific inhaler devices and drug formulations. Developing these combinations improves drug delivery to the lungs for better pediatric respiratory treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Respiratory Drug Delivery
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Aerosol therapy in children, especially infants, is under-researched.
  • Current inhalation devices deliver suboptimal drug doses to children's lungs.
  • Effective pediatric aerosol therapy necessitates tailored device-formulation combinations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the need for improved aerosol therapy in young children.
  • To emphasize the importance of device and formulation selection for pediatric inhalation.
  • To guide the development of effective aerosol delivery systems for early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current knowledge on pediatric aerosol therapy.
  • Analysis of factors influencing drug delivery in children.
  • Identification of optimal aerosol characteristics (MMAD, GSD) for pediatric use.

Main Results:

  • Low lung deposition of drugs with existing commercial devices in children.
  • Small Mass Median Aerodynamic Diameter (MMAD) and narrow Geometric Standard Deviation (GSD) are crucial for effective pediatric aerosol therapy.
  • Individual patient factors significantly impact the choice of device and formulation.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is needed to advance aerosol therapy in pediatric populations.
  • Development of specialized delivery devices and drug formulations is essential for efficient inhalation in young children.
  • Improved therapeutic options for pediatric respiratory conditions can be achieved through optimized aerosol delivery systems.

More Related Videos

Dry Powder and Nebulized Aerosol Inhalation of Pharmaceuticals Delivered to Mice Using a Nose-only Exposure System07:28

Dry Powder and Nebulized Aerosol Inhalation of Pharmaceuticals Delivered to Mice Using a Nose-only Exposure System

Published on: April 6, 2017

Related Concept Videos

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...
Upper Respiratory Drugs: Antitussives, Expectorants, and Mucolytics01:23

Upper Respiratory Drugs: Antitussives, Expectorants, and Mucolytics

Respiratory symptoms, such as congestion and cough, commonly accompany respiratory tract conditions. Various medications, such as antitussives, expectorants, and mucolytics, play crucial roles in providing relief.
Antitussives include codeine, dextromethorphan (Robitussin), and benzonatate (Tessalon). Codeine and dextromethorphan exert their effects centrally by suppressing the cough reflex center in the medulla.  Benzonatate operates peripherally within the respiratory tract by anesthetizing...
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...
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease01:29

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a widespread pathogen that primarily targets infants and young children but also poses a serious health risk to elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Belonging to the Pneumoviridae family, RSV is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus within the Pneumovirus genus. Its global health burden is significant, with millions of cases annually resulting in hospitalizations and mortality, particularly in resource-limited settings. Although most...
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...
Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment01:25

Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment

Transmission-based precautions are for patients infected or suspected to be infected (or colonized) with organisms posing a significant risk to others. The transmission precautions include airborne and protective environment precautions.
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...