Abstract
Aerosol inhalation therapy is one of the important methods of treatment of paranasal sinusitis in clinical practice. For evaluation of this therapy in clinical practice, we reported on the utilization of aerosol therapy in our clinic.
One of the characteristics of aerosol therapy in our clinic is that we have a personalized nebulizer booth to protect the privacy of the patients. All of the nebulizer units are closed off from both sides from the other units using partitions.
To avoid contamination of the nebulizer device, all attachments, including nose pieces, tubes and the chemical baths are washed carefully under running water. These attachments are sterilized by immersion into sodium hypochlorite solution. After chemical sterilization, the parts are allowed to dry out under hot air.
Since refrigerated drug mixtures have been reported to cause pollution of nebulizer devices, drugs used for aerosol therapy are mixed just before use, and the balance is disposed off after use on the same day.
Measure against environment pollution are important in aerosol therapy, because redundant aerosols can contaminate the environment. We have resolved this by adopting an exhaust duct system. The intake duct is located in front of the nebulizer device in each personalized booth, and any redundant aerosol taken into intake duct is trapped in the filter to avoid contamination of the outside environment.
In conclusion, these ingenuities at our clinic would contribute to the development of aerosol therapy in outpatient clinics of otorhinolaryngology.
