Introduction
Up to this point in our respiratory care education we have learned a great deal about therapies and drugs that eliminate, mediate, or prevent symptoms of common respiratory conditions like COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis, etc. Most of our focus has been centered around improving patient’s gas exchange by relaxing airway smooth muscle, clearing secretions, expanding airways, and decreasing inflammation. As we have eluded to in many scenarios leading up to this point, there is another level to treating our patients’ respiratory issues. In some cases we must treat an underlying pathogen in order to ultimately resolve our patients’ disease or acute exacerbation. In these cases, aerosolized anti-infective agents and/or systemic antimicrobial agents may be necessary. A lot of care must be taken by physicians and therapists to make sure that the agents used are appropriate for the patient’s condition since improper diagnosis can lead to limited or no positive effect on patient’s disease. In the following paragraphs I will summarize the main anti-infective and antimicrobial agents used in respiratory care and how we determine which is appropriate.
Aerosolized Anti-infective Agents
As we have discussed throughout the …show more content…
Cystic fibrosis is a condition in which the patient is born with defective cellular electrolyte channels. These faulty electrolyte channels cause failure of water to move in and out of cells in correct proportions. The end result is airway secretions that are not well hydrated and therefore are not able to be cleared easily by the mucocilliary escalator. These stagnant secretions collect deep in the lungs and become a breeding ground for bacteria. The immune response to colonization of the airways by these bacteria (usually P. aeruginosa) is to send neutrophils to the site of infection which ultimately causes
Up to this point in our respiratory care education we have learned a great deal about therapies and drugs that eliminate, mediate, or prevent symptoms of common respiratory conditions like COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis, etc. Most of our focus has been centered around improving patient’s gas exchange by relaxing airway smooth muscle, clearing secretions, expanding airways, and decreasing inflammation. As we have eluded to in many scenarios leading up to this point, there is another level to treating our patients’ respiratory issues. In some cases we must treat an underlying pathogen in order to ultimately resolve our patients’ disease or acute exacerbation. In these cases, aerosolized anti-infective agents and/or systemic antimicrobial agents may be necessary. A lot of care must be taken by physicians and therapists to make sure that the agents used are appropriate for the patient’s condition since improper diagnosis can lead to limited or no positive effect on patient’s disease. In the following paragraphs I will summarize the main anti-infective and antimicrobial agents used in respiratory care and how we determine which is appropriate.
Aerosolized Anti-infective Agents
As we have discussed throughout the …show more content…
Cystic fibrosis is a condition in which the patient is born with defective cellular electrolyte channels. These faulty electrolyte channels cause failure of water to move in and out of cells in correct proportions. The end result is airway secretions that are not well hydrated and therefore are not able to be cleared easily by the mucocilliary escalator. These stagnant secretions collect deep in the lungs and become a breeding ground for bacteria. The immune response to colonization of the airways by these bacteria (usually P. aeruginosa) is to send neutrophils to the site of infection which ultimately causes