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. 2019 Aug 20;6(4):1519-1527.
doi: 10.1002/nop2.357. eCollection 2019 Oct.

Errors in inhaler use related to devices and to inhalation technique among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary health care

Annika Lindh  1   2 , Kersti Theander  2 , Mats Arne  2   3 , Karin Lisspers  4 , Lena Lundh  5   6 , Hanna Sandelowsky  5   6 , Björn Ställberg  4 , Elisabeth Westerdahl  1   7 , Ann-Britt Zakrisson  7
Affiliations

Errors in inhaler use related to devices and to inhalation technique among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary health care

Annika Lindh et al. Nurs Open. .

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe inhaler use in primary health care patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to categorize these patients into those making errors related to devices, those making errors related to inhalation technique and those making errors related to both.

Design: Observational study.

Methods: COPD nurses used a checklist to assess the use of inhalers by patients with spirometry-verified COPD (N = 183) from primary healthcare centres. The STROBE checklist has been used.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 71 (SD 9) years. Almost half of them (45%) made at least one error; of these, 50% made errors related to devices, 31% made errors related to inhalation technique and 19% made errors related both to devices and to inhalation technique.

Keywords: administration; chronic obstructive; dry powder inhalers; inhalation; inhaler technique; metered‐dose inhalers; patient education; pulmonary disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

AL has received honoraria for educational activities and lectures from Teva and has served on advisory board arranged by GSK. KL has received payments for educational activities and lectures from Novartis, AstraZeneca, TEVA, Chiesi and Boehringer Ingelheim and participated on advisory boards with Boehringer Ingelheim and GlaxoSmith Kline. BS has received honoraria for educational activities and lectures from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Meda, Novartis, and Teva, and has served on advisory boards arranged by AstraZeneca, Novartis, Meda, GSK, Teva, and Boehringer Ingelheim. HS has received honoraria for educational activities from Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, AstraZeneca, and Teva, and an unrestricted research grant from AstraZeneca. ABZ has received honoraria for educational activities and lectures from AstraZeneca. EW, KT, MA, LL and ETA have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Data collection flow chart, numbers of patients (n = 228) and devices (n = 324)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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