Author : Matthew Levin
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 7 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (15 download)
Book Synopsis Effect of Posture on Aerosol Deposition in the Lung Periphery of Healthy Subjects Breathing Air and 80:20 Heliox by : Matthew Levin
Download or read book Effect of Posture on Aerosol Deposition in the Lung Periphery of Healthy Subjects Breathing Air and 80:20 Heliox written by Matthew Levin and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 7 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Application of aerosolized drug therapies, such as bronchodilators or gene therapies, rely on optimizing drug distribution to the diseased site of the lungs. Previous studies have shown a significant decrease in aerosol deposition and dispersion in the upper respiratory tract (URT) when subjects breathe an 80:20 helium-oxygen mixture (heliox) as opposed to breathing standard medical air (1,2,3). The current theory assumes that turbulent airflow is considered to be a significant factor in aerosol mixing and deposition in the URT. Turbulence is determined by the Reynold’s number, which is a function of airway radius, gas density and gas velocity, as well as the inverse of gas viscosity. Heliox has only one-third the density of standard air, resulting in decreased turbulence and a more laminar flow as inhaled gas moves through the upper airways. The decrease in turbulence and aerosol mixing in the URT when breathing heliox allows for increased delivery of aerosol beyond the URT and potentially increased deposition in smaller conducting airways and alveoli. Despite numerous studies on the use of heliox, none have utilized differing subject positioning, and many do not mention the position of subjects at all. Our study aims to discern if subject posture significantly affects aerosol deposition and distribution while using heliox, as it could have definitive impact on current therapeutic use of heliox in hospitalized patients.