Emergency-use spacers: a considerable option for asthmatic patients.

What was studied

This trial compared ways to take an asthma inhaler drug, with and without spacers. 108 people with asthma were split by chance into 9 groups. One group used the inhaler alone. The others used different spacers, including emergency-use ones. Each person got 400 µg of salbutamol. The team measured drug on a filter, drug in urine, and lung test changes.

What they found

The inhaler alone put the most drug on the filter. But it gave the lowest urine drug level and a small lung test gain. Several spacers stood out: Aerochamber, Able, and Tips-Haler. They did not differ significantly from each other, except for the filter result. Aerochamber gave a higher filter result. DispozABLE and Lite-Air worked moderately well. The Atomizer gave the lowest lung function result.

What it means for patients

The authors say spacer design matters. They say validated emergency-use spacers can be used where regular devices are not available. They name low-resource or emergency settings.

Why it is not certain yet

In 9 groups, each device was tested in fewer people than the full 108. The abstract says significance varied across devices. It does not say how long the lung test gains last. It does not report long-term use or safety.

Source

Emergency-use spacers: a considerable option for asthmatic patients.

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