Metered dose inhaler and spacer use among ambulatory patients

Abstract

This descriptive study examined metered dose inhaler (MDI) and spacer use among ambulatory patients with chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD) in a variety of outpatient clinics. A convenience sample of 45 clinic patients, equally divided between family practice, internal medicine, and pulmonary specialty clinics, were interviewed and observed for inhaler technique. Proper technique was determined by no errors during patient demonstration. This study found only 35.6% of subjects demonstrated proper MDI technique and 63.2% used the MDI with spacer correctly. Similar rates of proper MDI technique were found for family practice, internal medicine, and pulmonary specialty clinics (33%, 33%, and 40%, respectively). No significant differences in proper technique were found for any demographic characteristics (age, gender, years of inhaler use, number of inhalers, previous instruction or subsequent MDI technique review) in this study.