抄録
Under the current concept, asthma is recognized as a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways and inhaled corticosteroids are the most effective for the treatment of asthma. Dry powder steroids were first introduced to Japan in1998. This study evaluates the dry powder inhaler (DPI) from the perspective of ease of handling and the time required for instruction compared with the metered dose inhaler (MDI). Moreover, the relationship between peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and the number of times required for the complete inhalation of DPI were investigated.
One hundred and six adult asthmatic outpatients were entered into this study, including 54 who received DPI with the Diskhaler® and 52 who received MDI with the Volmaticr® spacer. A checklist was prepared for the evaluation of device handling acquirement. More patients in the DPI group performed inhalation correctly than patients in the MDI group (83 vs. 34%). The time required for instruction in the DPI group was shorter than the MDI group (11.37±4.35 vs. 16.14± 3.82 minutes). These results showed that DPI was an easier-to-use device compared with MDI. However, patients with low PIF (< 50L/m) frequently failed to inhale dry powder completely. In addition, PIF and the number of times required for the complete inhalation of DPI were negatively correlated (r= 0.870, p< 0.01). This study showed that sufficient instruction and appropriate selection of the inhaler played an important for asthmatic patients requiring inhaled corticosteroids.
