title: Importance of inhaler device use status in the control of asthma in adults: the asthma inhaler treatment study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Proper education and training in correct inhalation technique has been reported to have a substantial role in the achievement of optimal therapeutic benefit and asthma control. The present study was designed to evaluate inhaler technique and the role of education in relation to asthma control among patients with persistent asthma in Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 572 patients with persistent asthma (mean ± SD age 42.7 ± 12.2 y, 76% females) were included in this non-interventional, observational, registry study conducted across Turkey. Data on the effective and correct use of inhaler devices were collected via the Ease of Use for the Inhaler Device Questionnaire to patients and physicians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Asthma control (overall 61.5% at baseline, and increased to 87.3% during follow-up) was better, with significant improvement in technique and decrease in basic errors to the range 0-1, regardless of the inhaler type. Overall, the most common basic error associated with inhalation maneuvers was failure to exhale before inhaling through the device (18.9%). There was concordance between the patients and physicians in the ratio of correct inhaler technique only for spray-type inhalers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Close follow-up with repeated checking of the patient's inhaler technique and correction of errors each time by a physician seem to be associated with a significant decrease in the percent of patients who make basic errors in inhalation maneuvers and device-independent errors, and with better control of persistent asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Kocaeli University School of Medicine, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fusun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yildiz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents
keywords: asthma control; dry powder inhaler; inhaler technique; inhaler treatment; metered dose inhaler; persistent asthma