Domiciliary nebulisers in asthma: a district survey.

Abstract

Fifty three patients who were found to be using a home nebuliser for asthma completed a questionnaire. The results showed some confusion about the criteria for recommending whether a patient should buy a nebuliser and for its correct use. Twelve patients had not received any instruction on the use of their nebuliser, and only 11 of those old enough used a peak flow meter in conjunction with it. Eight patients aged 7-15 were using inhaled sympathomimetic aerosols only at the time of buying a nebuliser as compared with most of the older patients, who were using regular oral steroids. Forty nine patients assessed their asthma as moderate to severe, but eight of these were not attending a hospital clinic. Several patients were using 20 mg salbutamol or more every day, and on occasion doses of up to 50 mg a day were reported. It is recommended that patients should be assessed before they buy a nebuliser and advice given on correct use by a district nebuliser service, organised either by respiratory function technicians or in physiotherapy departments for adults together with a paediatric health visitor for children.

GENebu Project: home nebulizer use and maintenance in Italy

“…Despite the widespread lack of instructions on use and, above all, maintenance of home nebulizers from healthcare workers, the patients never complained. This finding has been seen in a previous study [12] and it has been shown that confidence in nebulizer use does not automatically mean that the practices were appropriate [5]. Interestingly, when healthcare workers provided more information on nebulizer use and maintenance, patients took better care of these practices.…”

Mercury hazards arising from the repair of sphygmomanometers.

“…It may occur in a quarter ofdiabetic outpatients,2 and plasma magnesium concentration varies inversely with blood glucose concentration in these patients. 3 During the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis the plasma magnesium concentration may fall severely such that magnesium supplements are required.4 Although our patient was not ketotic, her diabetes was undoubtedly poorly controlled. In addition, she was taking frusemide, and diuretics are known to induce hypomagnesaemia.5 This combination may have accounted for the severity of her hypomagnesaemia.…”

The peak flow whistle: a simple device for monitoring peak flow in children.

“…The device was evaluated by comparing its readings with those obtained with a Wright peak flow meter. Altogether 101 children (65 boys, 36 girls) aged [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] were instructed to blow three times into a standard Wright peak flow meter and three times through the whistle. The peak flow meter was used first so that the whistle could be preset to a point where theehild would be likely to sound it.…”