COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF INHALATION DRUG DELIVERY DEVICES IN COPD AND BRONCHIAL ASTHMA PATIENTS

Abstract

Introduction. In recent decades, inhalation therapy has reached a qualitatively new level due to the widespread use of more advanced auxiliary devices for inhalation drug administration to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma. It has been proven that direct delivery of drugs to the respiratory tract minimizes the development of systemic side effects.

The aim of the study – to consider the advantages and disadvantages of various additions to inhalation therapy devices. To justify the expediency of modernizing compressor inhalers with their translation into aerosol generation mode in accordance with the phases of the respiratory cycle.

The main part. The success of inhalation therapy depends not only on the correct choice of the drug, but also on an adequate method of its delivery to the respiratory tract. The main goal of inhalation therapy is to achieve the maximum local therapeutic effect in the respiratory tract with minimal or no side effects. However, approximately 1/3 of patients with bronchial obstructive diseases perform inhalations with serious technical errors. As a result of incorrect inhalation techniques, the drug enters the airways in insufficient quantities, leading to poor disease control and frequent exacerbations. Nebuliser therapy is an alternative method of drug delivery. In this regard, the nebuliser is the device of choice for young children and patients with severe respiratory function impairments. The capabilities of nebulisers have significantly expanded the scope of inhalation therapy. However, a significant disadvantage of these devices is their relatively large size, the need for a  power source and often quite high cost. In addition, the use of a mask increases the loss of the drug, as the device operates in a continuous mode, while the patient does not inhale constantly. Consequently, this leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of therapy, an undesirable increase in the cost of treatment due to the loss of expensive drugs, as well as environmental pollution, which can also have an undesirable impact on others and medical staff, for example, cause an allergic reaction.

Conclusions. Inhalation therapy is a modern and effective method of treating most diseases of the respiratory tract, as it allows for local therapy by delivering drugs directly into the respiratory tract, maintaining a high concentration of active substances directly in the focus of inflammation, and reducing the risk of systemic side effects. Nebulizer therapy has a number of advantages over other types of inhalers, but there are also a number of disadvantages, the elimination of which will significantly facilitate and improve the treatment of patients. The development of inhalers capable of generating an aerosol in accordance with the phases of the patients’ respiratory cycle can be considered promising.