Table 1. Errors in metered dose and dry powder inhaler techniques, i.e., inhaler technique steps that were performed incorrectly, in the total sample and by age group (N = 143 inhalers).a.

Error	Total sample	Age group
		10-19 years	20-59 years	60 years or older
Metered dose inhaler	(n = 94)	(n = 24)	(n = 61)	(n = 9)
Not shaking the inhaler	20 (21.3)	6 (25.0)	11 (18.0)	3 (33.3)
Not holding the mouthpiece vertically 4-5 cm away from the mouth or between the lips	3 (3.2)	1 (4.2)	2 (3.3)	0 (0.0)
Not keeping the mouth open	2 (2.1)	1 (4.2)	1 (1.6)	0 (0.0)
Not exhaling normally	62 (66.0)	16 (66.7)	41 (67.2)	5 (66.0)
Not actuating the inhaler at the start of a slow and deep inhalation	7 (7.5)	1 (4.2)	4 (6.6)	2 (22.2)
Failure to breath-hold for at least 10 seconds after inhalation	27 (28.7)	7 (29.2)	16 (26.2)	4 (44.4)
Not waiting 15-30 seconds prior to each actuationb	45 (57.7)	11 (55.0)	26 (54.2)	8 (88.9)
Dry powder inhaler	(n = 49)	(n = 4)	(n = 29)	(n = 16)
Error in dose preparation (all models)	3 (6.1)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	3 (18.8)
Not exhaling normally	23 (46.9)	1 (25.0)	12 (41.4)	10 (62.5)
Not placing the inhaler in the mouth	1 (2.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	1 (6.3)
Not inhaling as fast and as deeply as possible	3 (6.1)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	3 (18.7)
Failure to breath-hold for 10 seconds after inhalation	12 (24.5)	0 (0.0)	7 (24.1)	5 (31.3)
Single-dose dry powder inhaler: not inhaling again, more deeply than before, if there is powder left in the capsulec	7 (17.5)	1 (25.0)	2 (8.7)	4 (30.7)