[Benefits of nebulized therapy: basic concepts].

The main advantage of nebulized drugs is that they are deposited directly into the respiratory tract and thus higher drug concentrations can be achieved in the bronchial tree and pulmonary bed with fewer adverse effects than when the systemic route is used. The effectiveness of nebulization depends on many factors, including the characteristics of the drug to be nebulized (particle size, form, density, and surface tension), the anatomy of the airways, the patient's inhalation technique and the nebulization system employed, among others. The factors determining the particle size produced by a nebulizer include both the characteristics of the solution and the flow velocity of the nebulization system.

[Tolerance of two inhaled hypertonic saline solutions in patients with cystic fibrosis].

Background And Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate the tolerance of two inhaled hypertonic saline solutions (HS) in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Patients And Method: Eighty one cystic fibrosis (CF) patients (44 males; mean age 23.63 years) inhaled 5 ml of 7% inhaled HS solution and, in those patients who did not tolerate HS, we evaluated the tolerance of a 7% HS (at dose of 5 ml) added to 0.