Investigation of pulmonary deposition of a nebulized radiopharmaceutical agent in awake cats.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether conscious, unsedated cats will inhale a nebulized material administered via a facemask and whether this material will reach the lower airways.


METHODS
20 healthy adult cats.


METHODS
Technetium Tc 99m-diaminetriaminopentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) was nebulized into a spacer and administered to the cats via a closely fitting facemask. By use of a gamma camera, images were then immediately obtained to determine the distribution of 99mTc-DTPA within the lower airways.


RESULTS
Images obtained by use of the gamma camera revealed that all 20 cats had inhaled 99mTc-DTPA from the facemask. In each cat, deposition of the radiopharmaceutical agent was evident throughout the lung fields.


CONCLUSIONS
Awake cats that were not used to the application of a facemask did inhale substances from such a device. Aerosolization of medications may be a feasible route of administration for cats with lower airway disease.
Schulman
Rhonda L
RL
Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
Crochik
Sonia S
SS
Kneller
Stephen K
SK
McKiernan
Brendan C
BC
Schaeffer
David J
DJ
Marks
Steven L
SL
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate