[The handling of inhalers by bronchitis patients]

A high percentage of patients are admitted to the Internal Medicine Unit with respiratory pathology, principally chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The basis of treatment of the patient with chronic obstruction of the airways are the bronchodilators and corticoids administered by inhalation. There is a close relation between the correct use of the inhaler and its therapeutic efficiency. As chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is chronic, the patient is obliged to utilise inhaler treatment both in the hospital and at home. With the aim of determining what they know about inhalers, and how they use them, as well as to obtain information about the follow up practised with these patients, a study was designed that was carried out for one month in the Internal Medicine Unit of the "Virgen del Camino" Hospital of Pamplona. Data was gathered using a questionnaire with nine questions that were put to a sample of 23 patients admitted to this unit and who used inhalers during their hospital stay. It was verified that 57% of the patients did not use the inhalers correctly, 61% did not know when the container had run out and 70% did not even know the name of the medicine they were using. The study showed that the patients did not correctly administer the inhalatory medicines, which annulled or diminished the effectiveness of the treatment, given that there is a close relation between the correct use of the inhaler and its therapeutic efficiency.