LIVING WELL WITH COPD
Instructions for Using an MDI Without a Holding Chamber
Using a Metered-Dose
Inhaler (MDI)
MDIs look the same on the outside.
But each brand operates and needs to
be maintained differently. Check the
patient instruction sheet that came
with your inhaler for details on:
• Priming the device (getting it ready
to use)
•
•
• Using the device
Cleaning the device
1
SHAKE WELL
STEP 1: Take the cap off your MDI.
Check for and remove any dust, lint,
or other objects. Shake the MDI well, if
instructed in your patient information.
2
HOLD BREATH
STEP 5: Hold your breath for 10 seconds.
If you cannot hold your breath for 10
seconds, hold your breath for as long as
you can.
6
Maintaining the device
Priming
When the MDI is new or hasn’t been
used in 2 weeks, the ingredients may
separate. Priming releases one or
more sprays into the air. This helps
ensure the dose you inhale has the
right amount of medication. Read your
patient instruction sheet for priming
instructions, especially if you don’t use
your medication every day.
EXHALE FULLY
STEP 2: Sit up straight, or stand up.
Exhale fully, emptying your lungs as
much as possible.
3
WAIT 1 MINUTE, SHAKE
STEP 6: If you need to take another
puff of medicine, wait 1 minute. After 1
minute, shake the MDI again if patient
instructions recommend it. Repeat steps 2
through 5.
7
HOLD UPRIGHT
STEP 3: Hold the inhaler upright with
the mouthpiece at the bottom and the
top pointing up. Position it in or in front of
your mouth as instructed by your doctor
or the medication’s patient instruction
sheet. Some recommend holding the
inhaler 1 to 2 inches away from your
open mouth. Others recommend putting
the MDI mouthpiece between your teeth
and closing your lips tightly around it.
Keep your tongue out of the way of the
spray.
4
STEP 7: Recap the MDI. If your medicine
contains an inhaled corticosteroid, rinse
your mouth with water after your last puff
of medicine. Spit out the water. DO NOT
SWALLOW IT, to minimize the risk of yeast
infection in your mouth.
8
COUNT DOSES
INHALE SLOWLY
STEP 4: Begin to inhale slowly, then
activate the inhaler a split-second later. If
you wait too long, you won’t have enough
breath left. Inhale the medicine deep into
your small airways. Continue inhaling
SLOWLY for 3-5 seconds or until your
lungs are full.
10
RINSE IF CORTICOSTEROID
Counting Doses: Even the most
perfectly timed inhalation won’t do you
any good if there’s no medicine left in the
inhaler. It’s important to:
• Count each dose
• Prime the spray
• Replace the inhaler with a new one after
using the labeled number of sprays
Many MDIs now have dose counters built
in. If yours does not, use a diary or other
system to track doses used. Don’t rely on
how the inhaler “feels.” The MDI may still
spray or feel full when shaken long after
the active medication has been used up.