Asthma Inhaler Technique in Adults
Inhaled medications are the cornerstone of asthma therapy, but they can only be effective if they are used properly. Using your inhaler correctly delivers the medication to your lungs, where it can work better to control your Asthma signs and symptoms. Using an inhaler incorrectly means that little or no medicine reaches the lungs. In order to gain maximum benefit from these inhalers, they need to be used correctly. However, the steps involved in doing so are different for each inhaler.
The important limitation of inhaler devices is that they are more difficult to use and less convenient than tablets. Each inhaler device has its own speci?c sequence of steps for optimal drug delivery and it is therefore necessary to give careful and correct instruction to patients. MDI, metered dose inhaler, the most commonly used device, requires the patient to co-ordinate inhalation with action of the device (actuation) which can be difficult for some.
Types of Asthma Inhalers:
Two major types of inhalers are used to deliver asthma medication: Metered dose inhalers (MDIs) and Dry powder inhalers (DPIs). Each type has advantages and disadvantages.
A recent review suggested that up to 25% of patients have not received any verbal instruction for the use of their prescribed inhaler. Inhaler technique is repeatedly recognized to be poor in a significant number of patients.
Inhaler technique training needs to be undertaken by a healthcare professional proficient in providing inhaler technique demonstration to the patient. There is evidence that the training is not always delivered by appropriately trained staff. It should not be simply assumed that all healthcare professionals have perfect inhaler technique.
Incorrect usage of the inhalers may have critical influence on the role of the healthcare professional. The key is prescribing the correct type of inhaler, in relation to training the patient in inhaler use and then monitoring inhaler technique on a regular basis.
Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov