Prevalence of Critical Errors and Insufficient Peak Inspiratory Flow in Patients Hospitalized with COPD in a Department of General Internal Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The suboptimal use of inhalers in the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is probably a major but poorly documented problem in hospitalized patients. We aimed to describe the prevalence of misused inhalers among patients hospitalized with COPD in a department of general internal medicine.

Methods: We conducted a monocentric cross-sectional study in consecutive patients with a diagnosis of COPD and hospitalized between August 2022 and April 2023 in the internal medicine division of Fribourg Hospital, Switzerland.

An in-hospital intervention to reduce the proportion of misused inhalers at hospital discharge among patients with COPD: a non-randomised intervention study.

Aims Of The Study: Misuse of inhalers during chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment is common and may result from errors in inhalation technique or insufficient peak inspiratory flow (PIF). We aimed to evaluate the impact of an in-hospital intervention to reduce inhaler misuse at hospital discharge among patients with COPD.

Methods: We conducted a monocentric, non-randomised intervention study to compare the proportion of misused inhalers at hospital discharge by patients with COPD between a group with standard care and a group receiving an in-hospital intervention.

[Aerosol therapy: help in selecting an adapted inhaler for COPD patients].

Inhaled medication is the cornerstone of medical treatment of COPD. The efficacy of these treatments depends on the optimal use of inhalation devices. This requires not only an impeccable inhalation technique, but above all the selection of an inhaler adapted to the patient.