Inhaled Medications Employed in Critically Ill Patients

Aerosol therapy is commonly used as part of the treatment of many respiratory conditions. Also, there is a significant interest in utilizing the respiratory tract as a portal of systemic therapy of other diseases. The number of drugs considered for that mode of application is rapidly growing, based on its high efficiency and safety. There is a variety of aerosolized medications that could be administered during mechanical ventilation (MV). The underlying scientific principles apply to all of them. Some of them have been effectively utilized in critical care. However, others still have limitations of their use. The purpose of this chapter is to review and discuss the main types of inhaled medications that could be employed in critically ill patients with different types of diseases, and the major limitations of aerosol therapy.