Most kids with asthma have no idea how to use their inhalers

Health Wellness

MANY kids living with asthma think that they’re using their inhalers correctly – when they’re not, experts have warned.

Because of that, they’re putting themselves at risk from a potentially deadly asthma attack.

Lots of children are at risk from asthma attacks due to incorrect inhaler technique.

A new study published in the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) found that African American children and their parents were overly confident about inhaler usage.

Scientists look at 65 pairs of parents and children at four Chicago schools.

Aged between 8 and 14, 97 per cent of the children used their inhalers wrongly.

Just 5 per cent of kids who were confident in their inhaler technique used their inhaler properly.

Parents overestimate their children’s abilities

None of the parents doubted threat their kids could use their inhalers.

“We know from past studies that both parents and children overestimate the ability of children to properly use their inhaler,” said Dr Anna Volerman lead study author.

“We examined whether parent and child confidence were the same and whether either was a good sign of the child’s actual ability to use the inhaler correctly.

“We found most parents and children overestimated the children’s ability based on high confidence by the child – despite inhaler misuse.”

GPs need to start checking inhaler technique

Allergist Todd Mahr, ACAAI president, said that it wasn’t enough for a health care provider to simply ask if a kid or a parent if their kids know how to use their inhaler.

“Simply asking is not a reliable screening tool to determine who needs additional education on how to properly use an inhaler. If your child has asthma, check with your allergist to make sure your child has proper inhaler technique.

“Bring the inhaler with you to your next appointment and have your allergist or one of their staff watch your child use it.”

The study’s authors concluded that one reason behind the fact that so many children are using their inhalers wrongly is that their parents can’t recognise what’s good or bad practice.

Not the first warning

This is just the latest stark warning after a series of studies have made similar conclusions.

We reported at the start of the month that a study by experts at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine which found that half of kids with asthma were making “potentially fatal mistakes” when using inhalers – because they weren’t using their spacers.

“We know that asthma can be well managed in the majority of patients and using your inhaler correctly is a key factor to managing asthma,” said lead author Dr Waheeda Samady.

“Improper inhaler technique can contribute to children having uncontrolled asthma and needing to come to the hospital for their asthma.

“Our study suggests that as healthcare providers we can do a better job showing patients and families the correct inhaler and spacer technique, and checking it frequently to ensure they master it.”

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