INTRODUCTION Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) suffer from chronic infection of the airways, and typical CF therapies include aerosolized medications. There is recent evidence that home nebulizers become contaminated by bacteria, causing concern that nebulizers may be a source of bacterial infection of the lower airways. A recent consensus document on infection-control issues for the CF popula...

In a simple model, the reed of the clarinet is mechanically loaded by the series combination of the acoustical impedances of the instrument itself and of the player's airway. Here we measure the complex impedance spectrum of players' airways using an impedance head adapted to fit inside a clarinet mouthpiece. A direct current shunt with high acoustical resistance allows players to blow normally...

It has been suggested that osmolarity and/or nebulizer output may affect the protective effects of disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) in asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of osmolarity of the DSCG solution on exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) in children with bronchial asthma. A jet nebulizer was used for DSCG inhalation in Study 1 and an ultrasonic nebulizer in Study 2. T...

Airway hyperresponsiveness often constitutes a primary outcome in respiratory studies in mice. The procedure commonly employs aerosolized challenges, and results are typically reported in terms of bronchoconstrictor concentrations loaded into the nebulizer. Yet, because protocols frequently differ across studies, especially in terms of aerosol generation and delivery, direct study comparisons a...

Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is commonly used as a bactericidal preservative in nebulizer solutions, and can cause paradoxical onchoconstriction following nebulizing therapy in some asthmatics. We describe a case of anaphylactic shock in a 23-yr-old asthmatic woman following an intradermal skin test with a salbutamol solution containing BAC. Since she complained of cough and dyspnea after inhala...