Inhalation Technique Training Improves Management of Asthma and COPD

Inhalation technique training has proven to be a critical factor in managing chronic airway inflammatory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a recent study conducted on 132 patients. The findings were published in the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India.

Asthma and COPD are characterized by chronic airway inflammation, leading to breathing difficulties and reduced quality of life for patients. One of the major challenges faced in the management of these diseases is the lack of knowledge regarding the correct inhalation techniques, which can significantly impact treatment outcomes.

The study enrolled a diverse group of 132 patients who met the inclusion criteria. These participants were provided with inhalation technique training on day 0 and were re-evaluated at the end of 1 and 6 months post-training to measure the impact of the intervention.

The patients were categorized based on the inhalation devices they were using: dry powdered inhalers (DPIs), metered dose inhalers (MDIs), and MDIs with spacers. Among the participants, 65.1% used DPIs, 26.5% used MDIs, and 8.4% used MDIs with spacers.

The results revealed significant improvements in inhalation technique scores for all three device groups. Patients using MDIs demonstrated a notable increase in mean score from 5.68 ± 0.83 at baseline to 6.68 ± 0.58 after 1 month (p < 0.000). The improvement was even more evident after 6 months, with a mean score of 7.02 ± 0.56 (p < 0.008).

Similarly, patients using DPIs saw their mean score increase from 4.37 ± 5.53 at baseline to 5.53 ± 0.58 after 1 month (p < 0.000). However, no significant statistical improvement was observed after 6 months, with the mean score being 5.62 ± 0.55 (p < 0.117).

For patients utilizing pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDI) with spacers, the mean score improved significantly from 6.90 ± 0.94 at baseline to 6.90 ± 0.94 after 1 month (p < 0.001). Although the mean score decreased slightly after 6 months to 7.818 ± 0.60 (p < 0.053), it still remained higher than the baseline score.

Source:

Meena, M., Arora, P., Goud, M. S., & Kumar, L. (2023). To Study the Effectiveness of Inhalation Technique Training in Patients with COPD and Asthma. In Journal of the Association of Physicians of India (Vol. 71, Issue 05, pp. 56–60). Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishing. https://doi.org/10.5005/japi-11001-0238