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Please note: While some information will still be current in a year, other information may already be out of date in three months time. If you are in any doubt, please feel free to ask.
inhalers
- Question
- Which is the best inhaler for an 8-year-old child?
- Answer
- Dear Questioner,
There are a lot of inhalers - one should take into consideration diagnosis and proposed treatment. One should also consider not only which inhaler, but also which nebulisator to choose.
We advise you to contact the doctor, who is taking care of the child.
Best regards,
prof. dr hab. med. Anna Bręborowicz - 29.12.2009
- 29.12.09 Here is some more information about inhalers in general:
There are many different categories of inhalers, using different technical methods to bring a drug into the lungs of the patients. There are nebulizers which produce a humid aerosol using compressed air (jet nebulizers), ultrasonic waves or vibrating meshes. Other types of inhalers are dry-powder inhalers or pressured metered dose inhalers.
Which is the right device for the specific patient depends on a lot of characteristics, for example the age of the patient; some devices require a breathing coordination and the use of a mouth-piece, such as dry-powder inhalers, which can only be used from a certain age on. Others, such as the humid aerosol nebulizers do not require that and can be used at any age. The type of drugs which have to be inhaled plays also an essential role, as dry-powder and pressured metered dose inhalers are not suitable for all drugs to be deposited in the lungs. Other factors are the portability, cleaning time and time of inhalation, which is a problem in the older jet and ultrasonic nebulizers but much better in the vibraiting mesh nebulizers or dry-powder and pressured metered dose inhalers. Many other factors could be mentioned which could play a role for the decision for or against a certain device for a certain patient, last but not least the price and availability of the devices also plays a role.
Therefore, as said in the answer above, it is not possibe to make a recommendation for a certain type over the internet, but to discuss all important points with the doctor in charge in order to find the right device.
D. d'Alquen
