Spacer use
| Spacer use - part one |
Spacers (also called holding chambers) work with your metered dose inhaler (MDI) to deliver inhaled medication more easily and effectively, and can reduce side effects.
Spacers hold the "puff" of medicine between you and the MDI, so that you can inhale it slowly and more completely. As a result, more of the medicine gets into your airways.
|
| Spacer use - part two |
First, insert the MDI mouthpiece firmly into the oval opening at the end of the spacer.
|
| Spacer use - part three |
Hold your spacer and inhaler together and shake well, at least four or five times.
|
| Spacer use - part four |
Place the spacer in your mouth, and close your lips firmly around the mouthpiece.
|
| Spacer use - part five |
Keep your body straight and your eyes forward. Exhale.
|
| Spacer use - part six |
Spray one puff of medicine into the spacer, and immediately begin to inhale slowly for three to five seconds, taking a full deep breath.
|
| Spacer use - part seven |
Remove the spacer from your mouth. Hold your breath for as long as you can for up to 10 seconds. Breathe out slowly.
If your doctor has instructed you to take more than one puff of medication, repeat this procedure.
|
Review Date:
7/14/2010
Reviewed By:
Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-
A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this website, and its associated websites, is provided as a benefit to the local community, and the Internet community in general; it does not constitute medical advice. We try to provide quality information, but we make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this website and its associated sites. As medical advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each patient and healthcare is constantly changing, nothing provided herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of a competent physician. Furthermore, in providing this service, Adventist HealthCare does not condone or support all of the content covered in this site. As an Adventist health care organization, Adventist HealthCare acts in accordance with the ethical and religious directives for Adventist health care services.
