Comparative study of patients in correct usage of and preference for the Swinghaler and Turbuhaler multidose inhalers

Current dry powder inhalers (DPIs), introduced to overcome problems associated with pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs), possess not only difficulties originating from their designs but also other barriers that prevent their correct usage. The authors of this study investigated the ease and correctness of use of Swinghaler, a new device in the form of multidose DPI, as well as the preference of the study participants for either a Swinghaler or a Turbuhaler.

A total of 260 patients from Korea, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand were prospectively recruited. Patients who had stable asthma, were more than 12 years old, had no experience with DPIs, and provided informed consents were included, whereas those with limited physical or intellectual ability and prior experience with any DPIs were excluded.

There were no group or time effects between the patients who were assigned to use a Swinghaler or a Turbuhaler first. Forty-one (16.1%) participants correctly performed the inhalation maneuver with a Swinghaler, whereas 28 (10.9%) did so with a Turbuhaler; the difference was not statistically significant. The overall assessment on the precise use of the devices indicated that there were no differences between Swinghaler and Turbuhaler usage. Comparing the preference scales between the two devices, the participants gave higher scores to the Swinghaler for all assessment items and were more satisfied with the Swinghaler compared with the Turbuhaler (78.5% vs. 55.0%, p < .001).

The participants showed no difference in their ability to correctly use a Swinghaler when compared with a Turbuhaler and preferred the Swinghaler. These results suggest that the Swinghaler may be an effective and valuable tool for the management of airway diseases.