title: Emergency treatment of obstructive bronchitis: change from nebulizers to metered dose inhalers with spacers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate how the change from drug nebulizers to metered dose inhalers (MDI) with spacers succeeded and influenced the hospitalization rate and the length of the emergency room (ER) and hospital stay in wheezing preschool-aged children.
  
  
  METHODS
  After educating and training the nurses and physicians, the use of MDIs with spacers was started on 1 November 2006 in the ER and acute wards of our hospital. All of the 1-to-5-year-old patients admitted for bronchial obstruction from 1 November 2004 to 28 February 2005 and from 1 November 2006 to 28 February 2007 were included in this retrospective hospital chart review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2004-2005, 78% of the children were treated with salbutamol administered by nebulizers, and in 2006-2007, 84% with salbutamol administered by MDIs with spacers. The hospitalization rate was about 50% in both groups, and no difference was seen in the length of the hospital stay. The children treated with the MDIs with spacers stayed in the ER for a longer time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The change from drug nebulizers to MDIs with spacers in the treatment of acute bronchial obstruction in 1-to-5-year-old children was successful after the staff was educated and trained.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Research Centre, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Minna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mecklin
authors.forename: Marita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paassilta
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kainulainen
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korppi
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000420:Albuterol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D036503:Inhalation Spacers; D008297:Male; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D000420:Albuterol