Improvising a spacer

[Steve Price Lpn]

I want to know how many providers regardless of their level of care know my little trick for improvising a spacer for an inhaler

[DFIB]

I wouldn't have a clue as to how you improvise a spacer. I know how I would do it. Why don't you try and guess?

[chbare]

What's your trick? I have used an empty roll of toilette paper or paper towel.

[croaker260]

I want to know how many providers regardless of their level of care know my little trick for improvising a spacer for an inhaler

Respectfully, I dont know who YOU are, much less your little trick.

That said I am aware of the importance of a spacer, though we tend to use NEBS more, and CPAP with NEB in line if we need to get more agressive but dont want to intubate.

Edited January 31, 2012 by croaker260

[Kiwiology]

Who cares, put some salbutamol into the nebuliser bowl, plug the oxygen in and turn it on ... viola!

[JPINFV]

There is no spacer...

[DwayneEMTP]

Gonna come back with your trick man?

It is hard to know if we know your little trick or not when we have no idea what that little trick might be.

Dwayne

[akflightmedic]

Why would we have a need to improvise a spacer? Yes they are great tools to use with an inhaler, but in the emergency setting, if you are on of those services who actually carries an inhaler....simply do it the old fashioned way if your spacer is missing.

Put it in their mouth....of course you coach them on exhaling as much as possible, inserting inhaler, making seal with lips around the mouth piece and then inhaling deeply while depressing the canister.

[Just Plain Ruff]

plastic cup with bottom cut out(hole big enough to fit the inhaler in) and put it up to the patients mouth and nose, make a seal and then push the inhaler. Then have the patient breath deeply.

[croaker260]

Why would we have a need to improvise a spacer? Yes they are great tools to use with an inhaler, but in the emergency setting, if you are on of those services who actually carries an inhaler....simply do it the old fashioned way if your spacer is missing.

Put it in their mouth....of course you coach them on exhaling as much as possible, inserting inhaler, making seal with lips around the mouth piece and then inhaling deeply while depressing the canister.

Use of a spacer has been shown to improve medication delivery of a MDI over use of the MDI alone. Especially in children.