Retention by children of device technique for inhaled asthma drugs between visits

This study determined retention by children of drug delivery device technique between visits. Patients had asthma requiring the daily use of at least one medication delivery device. Seventy-two patients completed the study; 24 used only the metered dose inhaler (MDI) (group 1), while 48 used the MDI and 1 other device (group 2). Patients or caregivers were initially instructed on and demonstrated the correct use of their medication delivery device(s). At their next visit, they demonstrated their technique for each device. At follow-up, 36% correctly performed all components of the MDI. Group 1 (50%) was higher than group 2 (29%). The percent of correct MDI components for group1 (84) was also higher than group 2 (78) but not significantly. For both groups and devices, breathing out before inhalation and breath holding was problematic. This study reinforces the need to demonstrate and observe the correct use of inhalation devices at each clinic visit.