Knowing Nebulizer Therapy, Is It Effective In Reducing Symptoms Experienced By COVID-19 Patients?

Nebulization therapy illustration (Unsplash/Mockup Graphics)

JAKARTA – Symptoms of shortness of breath experienced by COVID-19 patients have recently attracted the attention of the medical community, researchers, and the public as exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus has increased.

In a number of references, he discusses nebulization or evaporation therapy to relieve the symptoms of shortness of breath in Malang, East Java. Is the evaporation therapy effective in relieving?

Nebulizer is known as a medical device which is used to convert liquid medicine into vapor or aerosol. This is so that the drugs can reach the lower respiratory tract or saliran.

This therapy or method is used to relieve breathing, both in people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). With nebulization, people with asthma and COPD have their airways expanded.

Nebulization is a treatment under a medical procedure and not a preventive measure. The treatment process is also gradual and not every liquid medicine can be nebulized according to the procedure.

According to a study published in the journal Annals of Translational Medicine in 2019, nebulized therapy does have several advantages, a good safety profile, and is widely used in respiratory diseases.

However, there is no standard for the application of nebulized therapy in prehospital and emergency care in hospitals in China. That is, the level of utilization is far from clinical needs.

Reported by the Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease page, a study conducted in 2020 entitled "The use of nebulized pharmacotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic" by several researchers explored the procedure for nebulizer therapy.

This study recommends standard operational procedures that must be strict and safe in the context of therapy for COVID-19 patients with respiratory disorders.

Because the report data in the journal stated that the first case of community-acquired COVID-19 confirmed that when the patient entered, there were no symptoms and indicators of exposure to COVID-19. Nebulizer action is carried out by medical personnel who are not wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

In this incident, it turned out that there were 3 medically licensed professionals who provided nebulization measures exposed to COVID-19. It is important to pay attention to undergoing SOPs, using medical devices according to procedures, and taking actions that minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Furthermore, there is insufficient scientific data on the effectiveness of nebulizers for nebulizing treating COVID-19 patients. To be sure, further research is needed on how effective it is with regard to medical procedures for patients exposed to the virus and experiencing shortness of breath.