Respiratory care
-
Some recent salient publications related to inhaled drug therapy are discussed. Unexpectedly, a 2.5-μg once-daily dose of tiotropium (Respimat) had greater efficacy than the 5.0-μg daily dose. Occurrence of a reverse dose response serves to caution us that administering more drug is not always beneficial. ⋯ Also, inhaled antibiotics in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis and inhaled interferon-γ in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis have shown encouraging results but are investigational at this time. Compared to combustion cigarettes, use of e-cigarettes reduces exposure to carcinogens and volatile organic compounds. However, high levels of benzaldehyde in the vapor from cherry-flavored cigarettes raise concerns about the safety of some food flavorings in e-cigarettes.