Nebulized Therapy in the COVID-19 Era: The Right Tool for the Right Patient [Letter]

• Published in: International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Vol. 15; pp. 2101 - 2102
• Main Author: Hess, Michael W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2020; Dove Medical Press Ltd; Dove; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Aerosols; Asthma; Betacoronavirus; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease transmission; Drug dosages; Health aspects; Humans; Inhalers; Internal medicine; Letter; Lung diseases; Medical personnel; Medicine; metered-dose inhaler; nebulized therapy; Nebulizers and Vaporizers; Pandemics; Patients; Pneumonia, Viral; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Respiratory diseases; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Shortages; Technical communication; United States > US; Kalamazoo Michigan
• ISSN: 1178-2005; 1176-9106; 1178-2005
• DOI: 10.2147/COPD.S272382

Michael W Hess Department of Internal Medicine, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA Correspondence: Michael W Hess Department of Internal Medicine Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, 1000 Oakland Drive, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA Email [email protected] I read with great interest the relatively recent editorial by Dr Richard Russell entitled “COVID-19 and COPD: A Personal Reflection”.1 I especially focused on the line “Anxiety can drive malbehavior.” Indeed, we healthcare personnel treating patients with respiratory diseases may not be completely absolved of anxiety-driven malbehavior in this COVID-19 world, as we try to come to grips with an indefatigable virus and wrap our heads around ways to slow it down and stop it. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has brought into sharp focus how healthcare personnel must approach the treatment of patients with respiratory disease. While we wait for the clinical or quantitative evidence necessary to establish true best practices, there is a concern that healthcare personnel, patients, and healthcare systems are prioritizing one form of therapy over another based on assumptions or partial information rather than evidence. This is certainly an issue that requires further consideration. View the original paper by Russell