Having just found out that my Aquilon2 nebuliser was recalled in February (due to the manufacturer still marketing and distributing it after the withdrawal of the CE accreditation) I’m looking to buy a new nebuliser compressor. I have the older version of the Omron micro-air for when I’m out and about but find it a bit fiddly to clean compared with the jet type nebulisers, which I prefer to use at home. I’m a bit lost as to which would be the best machine for me. Things that drew me towards the aquilon and the aquineb that it pairs with were the fact that it works at most angles, meaning I didn’t have to be fully awake to use it, I could pop it on in the morning set a timer and doze while it was nebulising. I liked that it could be cleaned in the dishwasher, I have multiple illnesses including chronic fatigue and so every bit of energy I can save counts. The aquilon compressor came with a “lifetime filter” that just needed to be cleaned and dried regularly, I haven’t seen any other nebulisers with this feature but where possible I would like not to have to be constantly changing filters and I’d like to try to keep the cost of consumables down, preferably without having to compromise too much on quality.
I currently use my nebuliser just for bronchodilators, having recently come out of hospital I’m on salbutamol and Atrovent nebs four times daily and the aquilon2 has been taking 30 minutes to complete the combination meaning that I’m losing a total of 2 hours a day minimum to nebulisation treatments despite the hospital’s nebulisers (econeb and AC2000) managing each set in 10-15 minutes. Usually, I only use my nebulised salbutamol when required sporadically during exacerbations and occasionally I will have a period of regular bronchodilators (salbutamol with or without ipratropium) as a bridge between hospital and home.
In an ideal world, I’d love a nebuliser that (in order of preference can complete treatments reasonably quickly, that works at many angles, is easy to clean, and consumables are cost-effective and readily available. Other factors that are less important but I would appreciate include no servicing required or at least easy access to servicing in the Barnsley/Sheffield area, portability and suitability for travel, the option to power it by battery or 12V DC (although I haven’t seen any high output nebulisers that can be battery powered yet in my research so far) and finally the ability to nebulise steroids or antibiotics should I need them in the future as I want this machine to last me as long as possible. I’m hoping not to spend too much more than £100 but I may be able to stretch a little further for the right machine. Hopefully, I’ve given you a good idea of what I’m after and I’d appreciate any advice you can give me.
Thank you in advance
