subject: Seeing A Nebuliser Machine For The First Time Was Scary [print this page] A few years ago my youngest child was down with a severe flu and cold and she had a bad cough as well. We took her to see the doctor and he told her the nurse to put her on a saline nebuliser. Having never even heard about a nebuliser, my first sight of the nebuliser machine was quite scary and made me think that there was something seriously wrong. I have since learned that there is nothing scary about them and that some people have a portable nebuliser for use at home.
A nebuliser pushes compressed air through liquid medication, which makes it a mist. This mist is then inhaled through either a face mask or a mouthpiece. A standard dose of medication takes 5-10 minutes to be inhaled. Several different types of medication can be taken through a nebuliser, including relievers and preventers. Some plug into the car cigarette lighter and others have a built-in battery, but most plug into a power outlet. There are jet nebulisers and ultrasonic nebulisers to buy which tend to be smaller, lighter and more portable than others, but these are usually more expensive.
In some situations it's difficult to get the medication you need into your lungs. This often happens during a severe asthma attack, an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or in severe lung disease. There are also some drugs that are not currently available as an aerosol inhaler. In these cases, a nebuliser might be used, as well as in the following circumstances:
If someone is really struggling to breathe in hospital or in an ambulance
If someone can't use inhalers because they get confused, or have problems with their hands
For people who have a severe respiratory disease
For people who have lots of mucus and need the extra moisture in the nebulised treatment to help them clear out the mucus.
To maintain your nebuliser properly:
Parts need to be cleaned after each use
Tubing and the mask or mouthpiece must be replaced frequently- about every 3 months
Filters must be checked, cleaned and replaced regularly
The pump must be serviced every 6 to 12 months to make sure it is producing the right pressures
A Salbutamol nebuliser is typically used to treat bronchospasm (due to either allergen asthma or exercise-induced), as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
There are three components:
Compressor:
This is the power source that compresses the air. This compressed air breaks the liquid medication down into tiny droplets that you inhale.
Nebuliser chamber:
This is a small plastic cylinder that you put the liquid medication into. A long, thin tube connects the compressor to the chamber and passes the compressed air through.
Face mask or mouthpiece:
This is the device you use to breathe the medication into your lungs. It attaches to the nebuliser chamber.
The jet nebuliser is the most common type used as it is the cheaper option for anyone who is considering which portable nebuliser to buy even though it is larger.
