title: Breathing easier: addressing the challenges of aerosolizing medications to infants and preschoolers.
abstract: An increasing number of patients are dependent on aerosolized therapy to manage pulmonary diseases, including asthma, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. An aerosol therapy is only useful if it can be appropriately and consistently delivered in the desired dose to the lower respiratory tract. Many factors affect this deposition in young children, including anatomical and physiologic differences between adults and children, patient-mask interface issues, the challenge of administering medication to uncooperative children, and behavioral adherence. Moreover, the techniques used to assess aerosol delivery to pediatric patients need to be carefully evaluated as new therapies and drug-device combinations are tested. In this review, we will address some of the challenges of delivering aerosolized medications to pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: Jennifer_goralski@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Goralski
authors.affiliation: James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Section of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000336:Aerosols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019141:Respiratory System Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D019141:Respiratory System Agents
keywords: Adherence; Infants; MDI; Medication; Nebulizer; Preschoolers