Premium
Child and parent satisfaction with the use of spacer devices in acute asthma
Author(s) -
Cotterell EM,
Gazarian M,
Henry RL,
O'Meara MW,
Wales SR
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1754.2002.00063.x
Subject(s) - medicine , asthma , pediatrics , emergency department , psychiatry
Objective: To evaluate child and parent satisfaction with the use of spacers in acute asthma. Methods: All parents of children presenting to the emergency department of Sydney Children's Hospital over a 3‐month period with mild to moderately severe acute asthma who were treated with bronchodilators by spacer device were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire. Children aged 8 years and older completed a separate questionnaire independently. Results: One hundred and eleven of 158 parents (70%) responded. The majority (84%) found it ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’ to use the spacer and 85% reported that they intended to use the spacer at home. Of those parents who had previously used a nebulizer ( n = 73), 84% said that the spacer was easier to use, 77% said that the spacer was better tolerated by their child and 84% said that overall they preferred the spacer. Seventeen of 31 children aged 8−14 years treated with a spacer (55%) responded to the satisfaction survey. All respondents found it ‘easy’ or ‘OK’ to use the spacer and the majority (82%) ‘liked it’ or thought ‘it was OK’. The majority of children (82%) said that they preferred using spacers because it was quicker (29%) or easier to use (53%). Conclusion: The use of spacer devices in mild to moderately severe acute asthma is highly acceptable for children and parents; the majority prefer this mode of drug delivery to nebulization.