Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Disposable Dosators for Pulmonary Insufflation of Therapeutic Agents to Small Animals
Published on: March 30, 2017
Metered-dose inhaler accessory devices in acute asthma: efficacy and comparison with nebulizers: a literature review
1The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, USA.
Objectives:
To evaluate the current literature about the efficacy of providing inhaled medications by metered-dose inhalers and accessory devices (MDI/ADs) to children with acute asthma and to compare it with the current standard of care, small-volume nebulizers (SVNs).
Data Sources:
Online computer and manual searches in English-language journal articles published between 1980 and 1996.
Study Selection:
Seventeen prospective clinical trials that have used MDI/ADs in the treatment of acute asthma in children were retrieved. Ten randomized controlled studies that included a comparison with SVN treatment were selected.
Data Extraction:
Studies were assessed qualitatively by their subject characteristics, design, intervention procedures, outcome measures, and results.
Data Synthesis:
There were marked variations in types of MDI/ADs and in doses administered between and within studies. Major outcome measures included pulmonary function measurements and clinical scores. All studies found MDI/ADs to be effective in the treatment of infants and children with acute asthma. Among those who compared this treatment with SVN, 2 found the MDI/AD superior and the rest found it as effective as the SVN.
Conclusions:
The data support the effectiveness of MDI/ADs as first-line treatment in acute childhood asthma. In view of clinical benefit, safety, lower cost, personnel time, and speed and ease of administration of MDI/ADs compared with SVNs, MDI/ADs should be considered the preferred mode of treatment of children with acute asthma.
Related Concept Videos
Drugs Used in Lower Respiratory Disorders: Overview
Bronchodilators, the first step of respiration enhancement, come in various forms, each with its own mechanism...
Antiasthma Drugs: β2-Adrenoceptor Agonists
One class of bronchodilators includes β2-adrenoceptor agonists. These agents target the β2-adrenoceptors located on bronchial smooth muscle cells. By stimulating these receptors, β2-agonists induce relaxation in these...
Antiasthma Drugs: Methylxanthines
Theophylline is thought to inhibit phosphodiesterase enzymes, increasing intracellular levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). This rise in cAMP and cGMP concentrations stimulates cardiac function,...
Antiasthma Drugs: Muscarinic Receptor Antagonists
Antimuscarinic agents compete with ACh for the same binding site on the muscarinic receptors. By binding to these receptors, they inhibit the downstream effects of ACh and block the parasympathetic...
Asthma-IV: Diagnostic and Management
Clinical Assessment for Asthma:
This is the first step in diagnosing and managing asthma. It includes:
Inhaled Medications

