Dictionary of Allergies .. Aerosol

A finely divided material suspended in air or other gaseous environment. Aerosols contain airborn particles of a liquid agent or solution dispersed in air, in the form of a fine mist. Inhalation is a prime route by which foreign substances may enter the body.  As a result, air born particles (aerosols) constitute a major cause of respiratory disease.  Aerosols may also be used for the assessment of lung structure and function in normal subjects and hence for the diagnosis and ultimately, the topical treatment of respiratory disease. The respiratory tract is also increasingly being used as a means of introducing pharmacological agents systematically, since it possesses a large surface area of tissue that is well supplied with blood, and since it is a considerably less reactive environment than the acid conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. The majority of ambient aerosols and a number of therapeutic agents administered by inhalation are hygroscopic to some extent. Pharmaceutical aerosols are products packaged under pressure and containing therapeutically active ingredients intended for topical application and for introduction into body orifices.

References

Pritchard J.N.: Particle growth in the airways and the influence of air flow. In: A New Concept in Inhalation Therapy. Eds. S.P. Newman F. Moren, G.K. Crompton p.3. Medicom London U.K. 1987.