Comparison of serious inhaler technique errors made by device-naïve patients using three different dry powder inhalers: a randomised, crossover, open-label study

Henry Chrystyn, David B. Price, Mathieu Molimard, John Haughney, Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich, Federico Lavorini, John Efthimiou, Dawn Shan, Erika Sims, Anne Burden, Catherine Hutton, Nicolas Roche

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24 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Serious inhaler technique errors can impair drug delivery to the lungs. This randomised, crossover, open-label study evaluated the proportion of patients making predefined serious errors with Pulmojet compared with Diskus and Turbohaler dry powder inhalers.

METHODS: Patients ≥18 years old with asthma and/or COPD who were current users of an inhaler but naïve to the study devices were assigned to inhaler technique assessment on Pulmojet and either Diskus or Turbohaler in a randomised order. Patients inhaled through empty devices after reading the patient information leaflet. If serious errors potentially affecting dose delivery were recorded, they repeated the inhalations after watching a training video. Inhaler technique was assessed by a trained nurse observer and an electronic inhalation profile recorder.

RESULTS: Baseline patient characteristics were similar between randomisation arms for the Pulmojet-Diskus (n = 277) and Pulmojet-Turbohaler (n = 144) comparisons. Non-inferiority in the proportions of patients recording no nurse-observed serious errors was demonstrated for both Pulmojet versus Diskus, and Pulmojet versus Turbohaler; therefore, superiority was tested. Patients were significantly less likely to make ≥1 nurse-observed serious errors using Pulmojet compared with Diskus (odds ratio, 0.31; 95 % CI, 0.19-0.51) or Pulmojet compared with Turbohaler (0.23; 0.12-0.44) after reading the patient information leaflet with additional video instruction, if required.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest Pulmojet is easier to learn to use correctly than the Turbohaler or Diskus for current inhaler users switching to a new dry powder inhaler.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01794390 (February 14, 2013).

Original languageEnglish
Article number12
Pages (from-to)1-14
Number of pages14
JournalBMC Pulmonary Medicine
Volume16
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 14 Jan 2016

Keywords

  • Asthma
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Serious errors
  • Dry powder inhaler
  • Inhaler technique
  • Mastery

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