Table 2.
Critical errors for each inhaler device before and after education.
| Critical steps of inhalation technique | Any critical errors | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before education (Visit 1) | After education (Visit 3) | ||
| Turbuhaler, n = 20 | |||
| Open the device correctly | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Prime with device upright | 9 (45.0) | 1 (5.0) | 0.003 |
| Seal lips around mouthpiece during inhalation | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Inhale forcefully or deeply | 4 (20.0) | 0 (0) | 0.106 |
| Breezhaler, n = 61 | |||
| Open the device correctly | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Place capsule in the chamber | 1 (1.6) | 0 (0) | 1.000 |
| Close the mouthpiece | 5 (2.5) | 0 (0) | 0.057 |
| Press button to pierce the capsule | 13 (21.3) | 0 (0) | < 0.001 |
| Seal lips around mouthpiece during inhalation | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Inhale forcefully or deeply | 16 (26.2) | 4 (6.6) | 0.003 |
| Remove capsule and check for powder residue | 6 (9.8) | 0 (0) | 0.027 |
| Ellipta, n = 36 | |||
| Open the device correctly | 2 (5.6) | 1 (2.8) | 1.000 |
| Seal lips around mouthpiece during inhalation | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Inhale forcefully or deeply | 8 (22.2) | 1 (2.8) | 0.028 |
| Diskus, n = 8 | |||
| Open the device correctly | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Pull the lever fully back | 1 (12.5) | 0 (0) | 1.000 |
| Seal lips around mouthpiece during inhalation | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Inhale forcefully or deeply | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Genuair, n = 18 | |||
| Open the device correctly | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Hold the inhaler horizontally (green button facing upwards) for priming | 3 (16.7) | 0 (0) | 0.229 |
| Seal lips around mouthpiece during inhalation | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Inhale forcefully or deeply | 6 (33.3) | 0 (0) | 0.019 |
| Respimat, n = 145 | |||
| Twist the base one half-turn | 28 (19.3) | 4 (2.8) | < 0.001 |
| Open the device correctly | 27 (18.6) | 4 (2.8) | < 0.001 |
| Seal lips around mouthpiece during inhalation | 10 (6.9) | 2 (1.4) | 0.035 |
| Synchronize actuation and inhalation | 36 (24.8) | 12 (8.3) | < 0.001 |
| Inhale slowly and deeply | 39 (26.9) | 13 (9.0) | < 0.001 |
| pMDI, n = 20 | |||
| Open the device correctly | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Shake well (suspension formulations only) | 3 (15.0) | 0 (0) | 0.231 |
| Keep inhaler upright | 3 (15.0) | 1 (5.0) | 0.605 |
| Seal lips around mouthpiece during inhalation | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Synchronize actuation and inhalation | 5 (25.0) | 1 (5.0) | 0.182 |
| Inhale slowly and deeply | 6 (30.0) | 2 (10.0) | 0.235 |
Data are presented as numbers (percentages).