Effect of plastic spacer handling on salbutamol lung deposition in asthmatic children

Aims  To study the effects of electrostatics in a plastic spacer on the lung deposition of salbutamol in asthmatic children.

Methods  Twenty‐five children (5–12 years) with mild asthma were given salbutamol hydrofluoroalkane pressurized metered dose inhaler 400 µg via a 750 ml plastic spacer on separate days. Blood samples were taken for plasma salbutamol at 5, 10, 15 and 20 min after inhalation to measure lung bioavailability as a surrogate for relative lung dose. With immediate inhalation following actuation, a new rinsed spacer (NewRinsed ) was compared with a used spacer after repeated daily use (Used ), a spacer rinsed after repeated use (UsedRinsed ) and a spacer primed with benzalkonium chloride to avoid electrostatics (Primed1). In addition, spacers were evaluated using a 15 s inhalation delay following actuation with primed (PrimedDelay) and rinsed (RinsedDelay) spacers. Data were log transformed and expressed as geometric mean fold difference for the average plasma salbutamol concentration (C_av) over 20 min.

Results  There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in C_av (as geometric mean fold difference and 95% CI) between Primed1 vs NewRinsed 1.92 fold (95% CI 1.15, 3.20) and between Used vs NewRinsed 1.75 fold (1.11, 2.76). There were no significant differences comparing Primed1, Used or UsedRinsed. There were also significant differences (P < 0.05) between Primed1 vs PrimedDelay 2.34 fold (1.31, 4.19), or vs RinsedDelay 3.59 fold (2.15, 5.99); and for Used vs PrimedDelay 2.14 fold (1.24, 3.69), or vs RinsedDelay 3.28 fold (2.13, 5.04).

Conclusions  The relative lung dose of salbutamol from a plastic spacer may differ considerably depending on spacer handling suggesting that nonelectrostatic spacers may be the best way forward.

DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2125.2002.01675.x

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