[The inhalational therapy of respiratory pathology]

The inhalation of aerosolized drugs for therapeutic purpose has been used for many years in respiratory diseases as asthma, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis. Therapeutic aerosols have the advantages to deliver active substances directly to the site of disease, without systemic side effects, to produce a more rapid clinical response, to avoid barriers to the absorption of drugs such as the gastrointestinal tract. We review the mechanisms and the site of lung deposition and the range of devices that can provide an effective aerosol such as metered dose-inhaler and spacers. Besides drugs as cromolyn, beta-2-agonists and topical steroids, recently new inhalation therapies were proposed using antiviral drugs (interferon), pentamidine for Pneumocystis carinii in immunocompromised host, inhalation of attenuated virus (measles) for active immunization. However there is a need for further work in this area.