Spacer Devices

What is a spacer?

A spacer is like an extension mouthpiece used with oral inhalers.It has a wide opening that fits over the mouth and nose, and a narrow opening that can be fitted onto the mouthpiece of an inhaler.It also has side openings that allow the air to circulate,so a patient can breathe normally with the face covered with the spacer.

Inhaler therapy

Inhalers are usually used for asthma and COPD treatment to deliver an aerosol of the desired medicine specifically to the lungs.This avoids the side effects on the rest of the body that happen when giving a medicine via the oral route or as an injection etc.



The medication usually used in inhalers are either bronchodilators like Albuterol or steroids like Budenoside or Fluticasone etc.



Usually they are divided into 2 types:

1. Emergency or reliever inhalers: Are the ones that contain a bronchodilator,they give immediate relief when used during an asthma attack.They are usually to be used as needed.
   
2. Protector or preventer inhalers: Are the ones that contain steroids,they protect from asthma attack but do not provide any relief when given during an attack.They are usually given in a fixed daily dose. 

What  are the benefits of using a spacer with the inhaler?

The inhaler can be used alone to deliver the aerosol, however adding a spacer has the following advantages:

1. The inhaler requires the user to press the release in synchronicity with the inhalation phase of breathing.This might be difficult to learn for children and elderly people.The spacer removes the need for synchronicity, the aerosol remains suspended in the spacer for the user to breathe in spontaneously.
   
2. The inhaler might propel the aerosol too powerfully, this will lead to a substantial part of the dose being attached to the posterior wall of the mouth and throat, thus less medication is delivered and the patient will have to use another puff of the inhaler. This will eventually cause unnecessary waste of the inhaler, and will increase the side effects caused by deposited steroid medication in the mouth and throat mucosa.The spacer will act as a buffer, and the whole dose will eventually be breathed in by the patient, saving on the inhaler use and decreasing risk of side effects when using steroids.