What is a Mister in medical terms?

A mister is a device that produces a fine spray of liquid, typically water or saline. In medical settings, misters are often used to:

humidify the air in a patient's room or respiratory therapy department

administer medications in the form of a mist, such as albuterol for asthma

clean wounds or other areas of the body

provide relief from congestion or other respiratory problems

Mister, medical

A mister in a hospital setting is a small device used to vaporize liquid medication into a mist.

Mist therapy. Mist therapy refers to the inhalation of a very fine water spray. It is sometimes called aerosol therapy.

There are two basic mister devices: (1) ultrasonic and (2) jet, or pneumatic.

Ultrasonic mist devices utilize high frequency sound waves to agitate water molecules. This process breaks the water molecules apart into a fine mist. The mister has a reservoir for water or sterile water. The unit plugs into an electrical outlet and is turned on to begin producing the mist. The rate of mist output can usually be adjusted on these units.

Jet, or pneumatic mist devices work by forcing compressed air through a small opening in a tube (the Venturi effect), which draws sterile water, or water with medication, into the tube and converts it to a mist. Because the rate of mist production varies with the pressure and volume of the air, these units usually have variable flow regulators.