Asthma spacer in a cup
14 February 2003
A disposable paper cup can effectively deliver salbutamol (an asthma reliever medication) to adults having an asthma attack if a commercial spacer is not available, Sydney researchers say.
Brett Toelle from the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research stressed that his colleagues were not suggesting cups should replace spacers, but that cups could be useful for first aid if someone having an attack did not have an inhaler and, due to very small cross-infection risks, did not want to use someone else's inhaler.
'It's not for asthma management in hospitals or clinics, but can be first-aid management in the field if someone doesn't have reliever medication.'
Researchers used 150 mL wax-coated paper cups, found commonly near water dispensers, with an inhaler placed into a hole in the base and a hand blocking the open end (Respiratory Medicine 2003; 97: 86-9).
'It's amazingly simple,' Mr Toelle said, adding that the method avoided fumes in the eyes from direct cup-to-mouth inhalation.
In the trial, 50 people aged between 16 and 50 years with wheeze (mild to moderate asthma) and a greater than 10 per cent decrease in FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second, that is, the amount of air you can breath out of your lungs in 1 second) after a histamine inhalation test were randomly allocated to receive 400 microgram salbutamol via either a paper cup or a spacer.
Last Reviewed: 14 February 2003
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 14/02/03
