Abstract
Aerosol depositions in the maxillary and ethmoidal sinuses were evaluated in 6 patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery. One percent Cefmenoxime hydrochloride (CMX) was the drug seleced to be administered by nebulization. The aerosol was generated at a flow rate of 3 l/min by a jet-type nebulizer, Azwell Nescojet AZ-11, and the diameter of the aerosolized particles ranged from 5 to 15μm.The diameters of the aerosolized particles generated by an ultrasonic-type nebulizer, Omron NE-U 12, were distributed in the range of 1 to 5μm, and the aerosol was generated at the flow rate of 17 l/min. In the maxillary sinus, the aerosolized particles gene-rated by the jet-type nebulizer were deposited to a greater extent than those generated by the ultrasonic-type nebulizer. The aerosol deposition pattern in the ethmoidal sinus was similar to that in the maxillary sinus. The concentrations of CMX in each sinus were above the MICs for the pathogens implicated in sinusitis. The results suggest that aerosol therapy could be useful as a postoperative treatment adjunct for sinusitis.
