Coronavirus

and Aerogen
1
Aerogen Vibrating Mesh Nebuliser (VMN) is a high performance, highly
efficient aerosol drug delivery device, increasing drug delivery to the lungs up
to 6-fold compared to the jet nebuliser1.

Aerogen VMN may pose a lower risk of infection by averting the challenges of
jet nebulisers that require breaking the circuit during mechanical ventilation to
treat the patient. Aerogen VMN also reduces re-nebulisation of condensate as it
sits above the circuit2.
2
3 Aerogen VMN can be used inline during other types of respiratory support in
the acute care settings including HFOV, NIV, CPAP and HFNC2.

Aerogen VMN is suitable for a wide range of physician prescribed medications,

and have very low residual volume, fast treatment time and ability to nebulise a
variety of solutions and suspensions3.
4

“Aerogen’s VMN in line circuit design, removing the need to break the ventilation
circuit when nebulising, provides a significant safety advantage in patients suffering
droplet spread infections. When the circuit is broken to insert a gas driven nebuliser,
particularly at the patient end of the circuit, the resulting droplet spray may
contaminate the room and creates a risk to carers. This risk can be eliminated using
an Aerogen VMN closed system. The Aerogen VMN can also be used inline during
other types of respiratory support including HFOV, NIV, CPAP and HFNC.2 In addition,
Aerogen’s efficient drug delivery to the lungs has demonstrated clinically meaningful
outcomes,8,9,10,11. Aerogen’s technology is therefore ideally placed to help deliver safe
and industry leading care to patients that may be suffering from Coronavirus”.

Dr Dhushy Surendra Kumar Critical Care Consultant UK

PM650

For more information contact Aerogen

on: Marketing@aerogen.com
 What is a Coronavirus?
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness
ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
The current novel coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China (named
2019-nCov infection) has now surpassed the global total experienced for the SARS
outbreak. The World Health Organization declared the 2019-nCov outbreak a public-
health emergency on Thursday 30th Jan 2020.

For confirmed 2019-nCoV infections, reported illnesses have ranged from people
being mildly sick to people being severely ill and dying. Symptoms include fever,
cough and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia,
severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death3.

Why might Aerogen be important?

During the SARS outbreak, anecdotal reports highlighted that infected persons
receiving aerosol therapies may have facilitated the transmission of SARS under
certain circumstances5. Nebuliser treatment with Jet nebulisers was proposed as
being contributory among other aerosol generating techniques, although the causal
evidence has not been substantiated6.

Vibrating Mesh Nebulisers (VMNs), have been demonstrated to have significantly

reduced fugitive emissions compared to the jet nebulisers due to the combination
of lower or no airflow requirement, and with the use of the valve system7. In addition,
the VMN product design does not allow contact of contaminated fluids with the
aerosol producing mechanism and/or medication reservoir.

References
1. Dugernier J et al. SPECT-CT Comparison of Lung Deposition using a System combining a Vibrating-Mesh Nebulizer with a Valved Holding Chamber and a Conventional
Jet Nebulizer: a Randomized Cross-over Study. Pharmaceutical Research. 2017;34:290-300. 2. Aerogen Solo System Instruction Manual. Accessed 31 January 2020.
https://u5i6p3z8.stackpathcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/30-354-Rev-T-Aerogen-Solo-System-UK_WEB.pdf 3. Ari Arzu, Aerosol therapy in pulmonary critical
care. Respiratory Care, June 2015 Vol 60, No. 6 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 31 January 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/about/
symptoms.html 5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infection Control Precautions for Aerosol-Generating Procedures on Patients Who have Suspected
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Accessed 31 January 2020 and Available online: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/25034 6. Tran, K.; Cimon, K.; Severn, M.;
Pessoa-Silva, C.L.; Conly, J. Aerosol generating procedures and risk of transmission of acute respiratory infections to healthcare workers: A systematic review. PLoS
ONE 2012, 7, e35797 7. McGrath et al. Investigation of the quality of exhaled aerosols released into the environment during nebulisation. Pharmaceutics 2019. 11,75 8.
Moody, G. et al. Comparison of Vibrating Mesh Nebulizer Versus Jet Nebulizer in the Pediatric Asthma Patient: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Respiratory Care October
2019, 64 (Suppl 10) 3217971 9. Dunne RB and Shortt S. Comparison of bronchodilator administration with vibrating mesh nebulizer and standard jet nebulizer in the
emergency department. The American journal of emergency medicine. 2018;36(4):641-646 10. Cantu t and Jenkins L. Comparison of Clinical Endpoints in Patients
with Asthma and Reactive Airway Disease Treated Utilizing the Aerogen Vibrating Mesh Nebulizer Technology with Ultra versus the Standard Jet Nebulizer in the
Emergency Department Setting. AARC poster presentation. 2019 11. Chweich H et al. Effect on Airflow of Bronchodilator Therapy Delivered via Vibrating-Mesh versus
Jet Nebulizers in Acute Asthmatics in an Emergency Department. Poster at ATS. 2019.

PM650

For more information, please visit

aerogen.com aerogen.com/covid-19