Inhalation is a very old method of drug delivery, and in the 20th century it became a mainstay of respiratory care, known as aerosol therapy. Use of inhaled epinephrine for relief of asthma was reported as early as 1929, in England. An early version of a dry powder inhaler (DPI) was the Aerohalor, used to administer penicillin dust to treat respiratory infections. In the 1950s, the Wright nebul...

There is some concern over the environmental consequences of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in pressurized metered-dose inhalers (p-MDIs). Turbuhaler was designed to deliver a drug as a dry powder without administering additives directly to the airways. The aim of this study was to evaluate the comparative irritant and bronchodilating effects of the same dose of terbutaline delivered by a p-MD...

Background: Inhaled medications are the cornerstone of asthma therapy. Metered dose inhaler technique is a widely used technique to administer medications like corticosteroids. Meanwhile, the health professionals and patients knowledge and practice towards this metered dose inhaler is quite deficient but arguably understood by policy makers or education expertise. Objective: This study tried to...

Metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) are currently being reformulated to contain hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs), which do not damage the Earth's ozone layer. As different formulations of inhaled drugs may behave differently when used with spacer devices, we wished to determine the amount of salbutamol available for inhalation from a conventional metered-dose inhaler (Ventolin) and a new HFA-containing formu...

BACKGROUND Metered dose inhalers (MDIs) are not easy to use well. Every MDI user receives a manufacturer's patient information leaflet (PIL). However, not everyone is able or willing to read written information. Multimedia offers an alternative method for teaching or reinforcing correct inhaler technique. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare the effects of brief exposure to the same...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the use of inhaler devices by patients with severe asthma treated via the Programa para o Controle da Asma e Rinite Alérgica na Bahia(ProAR, Bahia State Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis Control Program), recording the frequency of their errors in performing key steps and the relationship between such errors and the lack of asthma control. METHODS A cross-sectional study invo...

BACKGROUND The patients' criteria of preference for inhalation devices can affect the extent of their adherence to treatment and outcomes. Aim of this study was to assess and compare the patients' preference and acceptability (PPA) for Breezhaler and Genuair (both Dry Powder Inhalers), and for Respimat (a Soft Mist Inhaler) in asthma and COPD out-patients by means of the Handling Questionnaire....

BACKGROUND Patients often experience problems using metered dose inhalers (MDIs), particularly poor coordination between inhalation start and dose actuation (TsIn: time difference between the start of an inhalation and the actuation of a dose), and fast peak inspiratory flow (PIF). We investigated if a coordination cap (CAP), with instruction to prolong inhalation, solved these problems. METH...

BACKGROUND Inhaled medications are the cornerstone of asthma therapy. Metered dose inhaler technique is a widely used technique to administer medications like corticosteroids. Meanwhile, the health professionals and patients knowledge and practice towards this metered dose inhaler is quite deficient but arguably understood by policy makers or education expertise. OBJECTIVE This study tried to...

BACKGROUND A study was performed to determine in vitro the difference in drug output of seven currently available spacer devices when used with different inhaled medications. METHODS A glass multistage liquid impinger (MSLI) was used to determine the amount of disodium cromoglycate (DSCG, 5 mg), salbutamol (100 micrograms), or budesonide (200 micrograms) obtained in various particle size rang...