news
Every breath they take
Asthma group urges health professionals to
make sure patients use inhalers properly.
A
ustralia’s peak body for asthma
has called on health professionals
to check on their patients’
inhaler technique.
The National Asthma Council Australia
(NAC) is concerned Australians are
incorrectly using inhalers, adding those most
likely to do so include older adults, people
with severe airflow limitation and people
using more than one type of inhaler.
NAC asthma and respiratory educator
Judi Wicking said a number of new devices
have hit the market over the past few years,
making it hard for health professionals to
keep track of the correct technique for all
inhaler types.
Regardless of the type of inhaler device
prescribed, NAC said, patients need
clear instruction – including a physical
demonstration – and must have their
technique checked regularly.
Wicking added many health
professionals don’t realise how common
poor technique is, nor how big an impact it
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can have on asthma or chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD).
“The good news is that correcting
patients’ inhaler technique has been shown
to improve lung function, quality of life and
asthma control,” she said.
To help get health professionals up to
speed on the latest evidence regarding the
prevalence and impact of incorrect inhaler
technique, NAC launched an updated version
of its information paper and a series of
demonstration videos on inhaler technique
for people with asthma or COPD.
The resources are targeted towards
doctors, practice nurses, pharmacists
and other health professionals working in
general practice, hospitals and pharmacies.
NAC advised health professionals to
check their own technique first, especially
for new devices, to ask patients to show
them how they use their inhalers and to
provide one-on-one training to ensure that
proper technique is used. ■
To learn more and read the NAC’s
information paper, go to: goo.gl/c2kDmV
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