BACKGROUND The percentage of patients inhaling their medication effectively varies widely, according to methods of assessment and inhalers used. This study was carried out to assess differences among four types of inhalers using inhaler-specific checklists. METHODS Inhalation technique was evaluated in adult patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Inhalers investigated wer...

STUDY OBJECTIVES Following the development of the Caribbean Guidelines for Asthma Care, we examined the utilization of inhaled medications in asthmatic patients in Trinidad, West Indies. SETTING Chest Clinic, Ministry of Health, Trinidad. PARTICIPANTS Physician-diagnosed asthmatic patients who attended the Chest Clinic between July 1998 and August 2000. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS A consecut...

PURPOSE Results of randomized controlled trials may not predict effectiveness of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in real-world clinical practice, where inhaler technique and device characteristics can influence effectiveness. We compared asthma outcomes for ICS delivered via three different inhaler devices: pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI), breath-actuated MDI (BAI), and dry powder inhaler...

BACKGROUND Nicotine replacement therapy is an effective treatment for nicotine-dependent smokers. However, cessation rates are modest, and preliminary studies suggest that combination therapy may be superior. We compared the efficacy of the nicotine inhaler plus nicotine patch vs nicotine inhaler plus placebo patch for smoking cessation. METHODS A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled ...

BACKGROUND Metered dose inhalers (MDIs) are an affective modality of treatment for fast relief from asthma flare-ups and other symptoms, and are often used by asthmatic athletes. It has got lots of benefits and some drawbacks depending on usage technique. With proper technique and training drawbacks can be minimised. The objective of this study was to assess the metered dose inhaler technique i...

The lung dose and deposition patterns of drug delivered by dry powder inhaler are not known. The effects of inhaling 400 micrograms salbutamol delivered by dry powder inhaler (two 200 micrograms salbutamol Rotacaps), by pressurised metered dose inhaler, and by Acorn nebuliser were studied in nine subjects with chronic stable asthma. Technetium-99m labelled Teflon particles were mixed with micro...