Inadequate understanding and misuse of inhalers can lead to ineffective medication delivery, worsening respiratory disease.

‘Did you know? Up to two-thirds of inhalers are misused in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment. #COPD #lungdisease #inhaler #medindia’






Impact of Inhaler Misuse on Health Outcomes
In a new study, “Prevalence of Critical Errors and Insufficient Peak Inspiratory Flow in Patients Hospitalized With COPD in a Department of General Internal Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Study,” the authors examined how often inhalers were misused by patients hospitalized with COPD over nine months at Fribourg Hospital in Switzerland (1✔ ✔Trusted SourcePrevalence of Critical Errors and Insufficient Peak Inspiratory Flow in Patients Hospitalized With COPD in a Department of General Internal Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Study
Go to source).The article was published in the July 2024 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation.
Inhaler misuse was categorized as either a critical error in inhalation technique or insufficient peak inspiratory flow. These errors result in a lesser dose of medication reaching the person’s lungs, which impacts the person’s ability to manage their symptoms and can lead to increased exacerbations.
“Misuse of inhalers is common, and in our study, we found that approximately two-thirds of inhalers were misused,” said Gaël Grandmaison, M.D., an assistant physician in internal medicine at University and Hospital of Fribourg in Fribourg, Switzerland. “If an inhaler was misused, a physiotherapist conducted up to three teaching sessions with the patient.
These sessions helped reduce the number of critical errors in inhaler use. However, despite this education, more than one in 10 inhalers continued to be used suboptimally, either due to an inability to generate sufficient inspiratory effort or because the inhaler was unsuitable for the patient’s characteristics. These results highlight the importance of regular therapeutic education, assessing the patient’s ability to generate a sufficient inspiratory effort, and selecting an inhaler suited to the patient’s characteristics.”
Challenges with Inhaler Use
In a perspective article, “Real-World Use of Inhaled COPD Medications: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly,” the author discusses the decreased effectiveness of inhaled medications as the result of inhaler misuse (often due to intricacies and multiple steps required to use the inhaler) and the high cost of inhaler-based therapies. The author also highlights several advances in inhaler use, including the ability to combine therapies and to choose the right inhaler based on patient-centered decisions.Advertisement
Reference:
- Prevalence of Critical Errors and Insufficient Peak Inspiratory Flow in Patients Hospitalized With COPD in a Department of General Internal Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Study - (https:journal.copdfoundation.org/jcopdf/id/1496/Prevalence-of-Critical-Errors-and-Insufficient-Peak-Inspiratory-Flow-in-Patients-Hospitalized-With-COPD-in-a-Department-of-General-Internal-Medicine-A-Cross-Sectional-Study)