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

Annika Lindh; Kersti Theander; Mats Arne; Karin Lisspers; Lena Lundh; Hanna Sandelowsky; Björn Ställberg; Elisabeth Westerdahl; Ann-Britt Zakrisson

doi:10.1002/nop2.357

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

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

Authors

Annika Lindh^{1

2}, Kersti Theander², Mats Arne^{2

3}, Karin Lisspers⁴, Lena Lundh^{5

6}, Hanna Sandelowsky^{5

6}, Björn Ställberg⁴, Elisabeth Westerdahl^{1

7}, Ann-Britt Zakrisson⁷

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Health Sciences Örebro University Örebro Sweden.
² Centre for Clinical Research Region Värmland Karlstad Sweden.
³ Department of Medical Sciences, Respiratory, Allergy & Sleep Research Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden.
⁴ Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden.
⁵ Academic Primary Health Care Centre Stockholm Sweden.
⁶ Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care Karolinska Institutet, NVS Stockholm Sweden.
⁷ Faculty of Medicine and Health University Health Care Research Centre, Örebro University Örebro Sweden.

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.