AN ARTICLE on mist tent therapy in this issue opens with the remarkable comment that no objective evidence of the efficacy of mist in patients with cystic fibrosis has been published. The authors conducted a clinical study which led to the conclusion that under the conditions of their study mist was effective as judged by improvement in some aspects of pulmonary function. It may be even more remarkable to note the absence of objective evidence of the role of mist in the wide variety of circumstances in which it is commonly used on most pediatric services.
A review of some physical principles involved in water exchange, of observations on the deposition of aerosolized particles in the lung, and of the uses and hazards of mist therapy seems pertinent.
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