Instructions on Proper Use of Dry Powder Inhalers
Dry powder inhalers were developed to overcome the difficulties of using metered dose inhalers, specifically the poor coordination of pressing the inhaler and inhaling the medicine, commonly known as Hand-Lung coordination.
Using Dry powder inhalers, like any other aerosol devices may have its own advantages and disadvantages. Dry powder inhalers do not use propellant like pressurized Metered dose inhalers, so they do not require hand breath coordination or slow and deep breathing technique.
What helps to deliver the medication into your lungs is you own inhaling (inspiratory) forceful breathing. Your breathing should be deep and strong enough to inhale the powdered medicine from the inhaler device.
When you take in a quick and deep breath through the mouthpiece of the DPI, the fine powdered medication is separated from the larger carrier particles and drawn into the lungs.
It is extremely important that you do not exhale into DPIs (dry powder inhaler); this will result in moisture getting into the device. The moisture will make the powdered medication clump, like wet flour. Dry powder inhalers are easily affected by humidity and moisture. So be certain to breathe away from the DPI’s prior to taking your deep breath from the DPI. After you take your deep breath, remove the DPI from your mouth and slowly exhale away from the DPI.
Children and Elderly patients with severe airflow obstruction may not be able to generate adequate airflow when using a certain DPI. Because of many differences in the design and operation of DPI’s, the correct inhaler technique for best results varies.
Most of the DPI’s have built in dose counter and they are small and portable enough for easy use. There are 3 types of Dry powder inhalers: Single dose, multiple unit dose unit and multiple dose inhalers. Aerolizer and Handihaler are single dose inhalers, Disk haler is the multi unit dose inhaler and Twisthaler, Flexhaler and Diskus are Multi-dose inhalers.
Source: www.nationaljewish.org