Nebulisers for patients with HIV infection and AIDS.

bacterium tuberculosis and other opportunistic    infections. The choice of nebuliser and delivery system is If nebulisers are to be used within the hospital dictated by the need to deposit pentamidine then nebulisation should be carried out in a in the alveoli and to avoid deposition in the room separate from the main ward area, ideally oropharynx, trachea, and major bronchi. Unwith a separate air extraction system. If nebulike bronchodilators, nebulised pentamidine lisers are to be used for prophylactic inhalation produces significant local adverse reactions if it of pentamidine then, alternatively, patients deposits in the upper airways, including hypercould be taught how to do this themselves salivation, a metallic or bitter taste, nausea, or with the help of a partner at home and cough, dyspnoea, and bronchoconstriction. appropriate resources should be invested in This makes conventional jet nebulisers inproviding home nebulisers and compressors. appropriate as they produce droplets of many Indications for the use of nebulisers in patients sizes, some of which deposit in the upper reswith HIV infection and AIDS are shown in piratory tract. Very few nebuliser and delivery table 1. systems have been shown, in prospective clin-