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Biney IN, Ari A, Barjaktarevic IZ, Carlin B, Christiani DC, Cochran L, Drummond MB, Johnson K, Kealing D, Kuehl PJ, Li J, Mahler DA, Martinez S, Ohar J, Radonovich LJ, Sood A, Suggett J, Tal-Singer R, Tashkin D, Yates J, Cambridge L, Dailey PA, Mannino DM, Dhand R. Guidance on Mitigating the Risk of Transmitting Respiratory Infections During Nebulization by the COPD Foundation Nebulizer Consortium. Chest 2024; 165:653-668. [PMID: 37977263 DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2023.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nebulizers are used commonly for inhaled drug delivery. Because they deliver medication through aerosol generation, clarification is needed on what constitutes safe aerosol delivery in infectious respiratory disease settings. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of understanding the safety and potential risks of aerosol-generating procedures. However, evidence supporting the increased risk of disease transmission with nebulized treatments is inconclusive, and inconsistent guidelines and differing opinions have left uncertainty regarding their use. Many clinicians opt for alternative devices, but this practice could impact outcomes negatively, especially for patients who may not derive full treatment benefit from handheld inhalers. Therefore, it is prudent to develop strategies that can be used during nebulized treatment to minimize the emission of fugitive aerosols, these comprising bioaerosols exhaled by infected individuals and medical aerosols generated by the device that also may be contaminated. This is particularly relevant for patient care in the context of a highly transmissible virus. RESEARCH QUESTION How can potential risks of infections during nebulization be mitigated? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS The COPD Foundation Nebulizer Consortium (CNC) was formed in 2020 to address uncertainties surrounding administration of nebulized medication. The CNC is an international, multidisciplinary collaboration of patient advocates, pulmonary physicians, critical care physicians, respiratory therapists, clinical scientists, and pharmacists from research centers, medical centers, professional societies, industry, and government agencies. The CNC developed this expert guidance to inform the safe use of nebulized therapies for patients and providers and to answer key questions surrounding medication delivery with nebulizers during pandemics or when exposure to common respiratory pathogens is anticipated. RESULTS CNC members reviewed literature and guidelines regarding nebulization and developed two sets of guidance statements: one for the health care setting and one for the home environment. INTERPRETATION Future studies need to explore the risk of disease transmission with fugitive aerosols associated with different nebulizer types in real patient care situations and to evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac N Biney
- University Pulmonary and Critical Care, The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN.
| | - Arzu Ari
- Department of Respiratory Care and Texas State Sleep Center, Texas State University, Round Rock, TX
| | - Igor Z Barjaktarevic
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles Health Sciences, Los Angeles, CA; Division of Liver and Pancreas Transplantation, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles Health Sciences, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Brian Carlin
- Sleep Medicine and Lung Health Consultants LLC, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - David C Christiani
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA; Pulmonary and Critical Care Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | | | - M Bradley Drummond
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | | | | | | | - Jie Li
- Rush University, Chicago, IL
| | - Donald A Mahler
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH; Valley Regional Hospital, Claremont, NH
| | | | - Jill Ohar
- Bowman Gray Center for Medical Education, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
| | - Lewis J Radonovich
- Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV
| | - Akshay Sood
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM
| | | | | | - Donald Tashkin
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles Health Sciences, Los Angeles, CA
| | | | - Lisa Cambridge
- Medical Science & Pharmaceutical Alliances, PARI, Inc., Midlothian, VA
| | | | | | - Rajiv Dhand
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN
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