hydrofluoroalkane
noun
hy·dro·fluo·ro·al·kane
| \ ˌhī-drō-ˌflu̇r-ō-ˈal-ˌkān, -ˌflȯr-
\
\
Medical Definition of hydrofluoroalkane
: any of various gaseous alkanes that contain carbon, fluorine, and hydrogen and are used especially as aerosol propellants in metered-dose inhalers
Like CFCs, the alternative propellant, hydrofluoroalkane (HFA), is inert in the human airway, but unlike CFCs, it does not contribute to depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer.— Christopher H. Fanta, The New England Journal of Medicine, 5 Mar. 2009
—abbreviation HFA