Inhaling to mitigate exhaled bioaerosols.
Humans commonly exhale aerosols comprised of small droplets of airway-lining fluid during normal breathing. These "exhaled bioaerosols" may carry airborne pathogens and thereby magnify the spread of certain infectious diseases, such as influenza, tuberculosis, and severe acute respiratory syndrome. We hypothesize that, by altering lung airway surface properties through an inhaled nontoxic aerosol, we might substantially diminish the number of exhaled bioaerosol droplets and thereby provide a simple means to potentially mitigate the spread of airborne infectious disease independently of the identity of the airborne pathogen or the nature of any specific therapy. We find that some normal human subjects expire many more bioaerosol particles than other individuals during quiet breathing and therefore bear the burden of production of exhaled bioaerosols. Administering nebulized isotonic saline to these "high-producer" individuals diminishes the number of exhaled bioaerosol particles expired by 72.10 +/- 8.19% for up to 6 h. In vitro and in vivo experiments with saline and surfactants suggest that the mechanism of action of the nebulized saline relates to modification of the physical properties of the airway-lining fluid, notably surface tension.
Edwards
David A
DA
Harvard University, 322 Pierce Hall, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. dedwards@deas.harvard.edu
Man
Jonathan C
JC
Brand
Peter
P
Katstra
Jeffrey P
JP
Sommerer
K
K
Stone
Howard A
HA
Nardell
Edward
E
Scheuch
Gerhard
G
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D045853:Exhalation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007552:Isotonic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D010316:Particle Size; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013500:Surface Tension / Q000187:drug effects; D014783:Viscosity / Q000187:drug effects
D000336:Aerosols; D007552:Isotonic Solutions; D012965:Sodium Chloride