Your child's medicine: inhalers, nebulizers, oral meds
Types of Medications
Maintenance and Care of Spacers or Aerochamber |
Why and How to Wash Your Valved Holding Chamber
National asthma treatment guidelines say that valved holding chambers (VHCs) help patients use their metered-dose inhaler (MDI) more effectively and efficiently.1 A holding chamber suspends the aerosol spray of medicine inside the chamber long enough for you to inhale at your own speed, rather than trying to coordinate your inhalation with the fast-moving spray. It also also pulls out large particles of medication too big to get into your lungs and airways and keeps them from settling in the mouth or throat. Why Wash? The device should be cleaned periodically to remove the normal accumulation of particles on the inside walls and valve. In addition, washing can help combat static electricity. While it’s normal for some large particles to cling to walls of the chamber, static electricity can cause small medication particles to collect, which will decrease the amount of medicine that gets into the lungs. That’s why it’s important to choose a unit made with antistatic materials and follow the recommended cleaning process to reduce the static charge. How to Wash Always check your device for cracks, debris or damage before each use, and wash it regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions – usually once a week, if you’re using it daily. Some units require washing before the first use. Washing instructions will vary from one brand to another, but these are the most common steps:
Why and How to Wash Your Valved Holding Chamber. (2017, February 23). Retrieved February 27, 2017, from http://www.allergyasthmanetwork.org/why-and-how-wash-your-valved-holding-chamber/ |