Background: Spiromax® is a novel dry-powder inhaler containing formulations of budesonide plus formoterol (BF). The device is intended to provide dose equivalence with enhanced user-friendliness compared to BF Turbuhaler® in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The present study was performed to compare inhalation parameters with empty versions of the two devices, and to investigate the effects of enhanced training designed to encourage faster inhalation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv
February 2015
Background: The characteristics of each inhalation maneuver when patients use dry powder inhalers (DPIs) are important, because they control the quality of the emitted dose.
Methods: We have measured the inhalation profiles of asthmatic children [CHILD; n=16, mean forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) 79% predicted], asthmatic adults (ADULT; n=53, mean predicted FEV1 72%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; n=29, mean predicted FEV1 42%) patients when they inhaled through an Aerolizer, Diskus, Turbuhaler, and Easyhaler using their "real-life" DPI inhalation technique. These are low-, medium-, medium/high-, and high-resistance DPIs, respectively.
Background: We report baseline data on the organisation of COPD care in UK NHS hospitals participating in the National COPD Resources and Outcomes Project (NCROP).
Methods: We undertook an initial survey of participating hospitals in 2007, looking at organisation and performance indicators in relation to general aspects of care, provision of non-invasive ventilation (NIV), pulmonary rehabilitation, early discharge schemes, and oxygen. We compare, where possible, against the national 2003 audit.
Purpose: The relative lung bioavailability of salbutamol sulfate particles produced using supercritical fluids (SEDS) and delivered by dry powder inhaler (DPI) was compared with the performance of a conventional micronized drug DPI using the same device design (Clickhaler, Innovata Biomed).
Materials And Methods: Twelve healthy volunteers and 11 mild asthmatic patients completed separate four-way randomised cross-over studies, assessing the relative bioavailability of salbutamol sulfate (urinary excretion method), formulated as SEDS particles (three batches) and micronized particles (Asmasal inhaler, UCB Pharma Ltd). Post-treatment improvements in patient lung function were assessed by measuring FEV(1).