Breathe Easy by Donald A. Mahler

Author:Donald A. Mahler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University Press of New England

Figure 6.2 Example of a pressurized metered-dose inhaler. (iStock.com/markhicksphotography)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING A PRESSURIZED METERED-DOSE INHALER

1Shake the pMDI vigorously for a few seconds.

2Take the cap off of the mouthpiece.

3Hold the pMDI upright with your index finger on the top of the canister and your thumb at the bottom of the inhaler.

4Slowly breathe out all of the air from your lungs.

5Place the pMDI about two fingers in front of your mouth (called open-mouth technique), or place the mouthpiece inside your mouth and close your lips around the mouthpiece (called closed-mouth technique).

6As you start to breathe in slowly through your mouth, press down on the top of the canister with your index finger to release the medication.

7Breathe in with a slow and steady effort until you fill your lungs with air.

8Hold your breath for ten seconds or for as long as possible. This allows the aerosol to reach the lower breathing tubes.

9Wait fifteen to thirty seconds, and then repeat steps 4 to 8 to inhale another dose of the medication.

10If the medication contains an inhaled corticosteroid, you should rinse your mouth with water and spit out the water.

Many pMDIs have a dose counter that indicates the number of puffs remaining in the device.

If your pMDI is new, or if it has not been used in two weeks, you need to prime the inhaler as described below. Priming enables you to get the full dose of the inhaled medication. Each pharmaceutical company provides recommendations for priming the particular pMDI.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.