Vicente Plaza1, Jordi Giner2, Gustavo J Rodrigo3, Myrna B Dolovich4, Joaquin Sanchis2. 1. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: vplaza@santpau.cat. 2. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 3. Departamento de Emergencia, Hospital Central de las Fuerzas Armadas, Montevideo, Uruguay. 4. Department of Medicine, Division of Respirology, St Joseph's Healthcare, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Inefficient inhaler technique (IT) compromises the optimal delivery of medication. However, the IT knowledge of health care professionals (HCPs) has received scant attention. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of published reports assessing the IT proficiency of HCPs in using pressurized metered dose (pMDI) and dry powder (DPI) inhalers. METHODS: Studies published between 1975 and 2014 that directly assessed the IT skills of HCPs were selected according to predefined selection criteria. RESULTS: Data were extracted from 55 studies involving 6,304 HCPs who performed 9,996 tests to demonstrate their IT proficiency. Overall, the IT was considered correct in 15.5% of cases (95% confidence interval [CI], 12-19.3), decreasing over time from 20.5% (95% CI, 14.9-26.8) from the early period (defined as 1975-1995) to 10.8% (95% CI, 7.3-14.8) during the late period (1996-2014). The most common errors in the use of pMDIs were as follows: not breathing out completely before inhalation (75%; 95% CI, 56-90), lack of coordination (64%; 95% CI, 29-92), and postinhalation breath-hold (63%; 95% CI, 52-72). The most common errors using DPI were deficient preparation (89%; 95% CI, 82-95), not breathing out completely before inhalation (79%; 95% CI, 68-87), and no breath-hold (76%; 95% CI, 67-84). CONCLUSIONS: HCPs demonstrated inadequate knowledge of the proper use of inhalers. The poor understanding of the correct use of these devices may prevent these professionals from being able to adequately assess and teach proper inhalation techniques to their patients.
BACKGROUND: Inefficient inhaler technique (IT) compromises the optimal delivery of medication. However, the IT knowledge of health care professionals (HCPs) has received scant attention. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of published reports assessing the IT proficiency of HCPs in using pressurized metered dose (pMDI) and dry powder (DPI) inhalers. METHODS: Studies published between 1975 and 2014 that directly assessed the IT skills of HCPs were selected according to predefined selection criteria. RESULTS: Data were extracted from 55 studies involving 6,304 HCPs who performed 9,996 tests to demonstrate their IT proficiency. Overall, the IT was considered correct in 15.5% of cases (95% confidence interval [CI], 12-19.3), decreasing over time from 20.5% (95% CI, 14.9-26.8) from the early period (defined as 1975-1995) to 10.8% (95% CI, 7.3-14.8) during the late period (1996-2014). The most common errors in the use of pMDIs were as follows: not breathing out completely before inhalation (75%; 95% CI, 56-90), lack of coordination (64%; 95% CI, 29-92), and postinhalation breath-hold (63%; 95% CI, 52-72). The most common errors using DPI were deficient preparation (89%; 95% CI, 82-95), not breathing out completely before inhalation (79%; 95% CI, 68-87), and no breath-hold (76%; 95% CI, 67-84). CONCLUSIONS: HCPs demonstrated inadequate knowledge of the proper use of inhalers. The poor understanding of the correct use of these devices may prevent these professionals from being able to adequately assess and teach proper inhalation techniques to their patients.
Authors: David J Collier; Pascal Wielders; Job van der Palen; Logan Heyes; Dawn Midwinter; Kathryn Collison; Andy Preece; Neil Barnes; Raj Sharma Journal: Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis Date: 2020-06-09
Authors: Annika Lindh; Kersti Theander; Mats Arne; Karin Lisspers; Lena Lundh; Hanna Sandelowsky; Björn Ställberg; Elisabeth Westerdahl; Ann-Britt Zakrisson Journal: Nurs Open Date: 2019-08-20