department of athletics policies & procedures - UNC Wilmington ...

1. Remove the cap and hold the inhaler upright.
2. Shake the inhaler.
3. Tilt your head back slightly and breathe out.
4. Hold the inhaler as in one of the pictures to the right. A
or B are the most effective, but C is okay for people
who are unable to use A or B.
5. Spacers are useful for all patients, especially young
children and older adults (see picture B).
6. Press down on the inhaler to release the medicine as
you start to breathe in slowly.
7. Breathe in slowly for 3 to 5 seconds.
8. Hold your breath for 10 seconds to allow medicine to
go deeply into your lungs.
9. Repeat puffs as directed. Wait 1 minute between puffs
to allow the second puff to get into the lungs better.
To Use an MDI with a Spacer:
1. Remove the caps from the MDI and spacer device.
Shake the MDI well.
2. Insert the MDI into the open end of the spacer, which is
opposite the mouthpiece.
3. Place the mouthpiece of the spacer between your teeth
and seal your lips tightly around it.
4. Breathe out completely.
5. Press the canister once to release the medicine. The
medicine will be trapped in the spacer.
A. Open mouth.
Hold inhaler 1 to 2
inches away.
B. Use spacer
attached to
inhaler.
C. Hold inhaler in
your mouth
6. Breathe in slowly and completely through your mouth. With some spacers, you
will hear a hornlike sound if you are breathing too quickly. This means you need
to slow down on your next breath.
7. Hold your breath for at least 10 seconds to allow the medication to deposit in your
lungs.
8. Wait for about one minute and then repeat Steps 1-7 for every puff of medication
ordered.
9. Replace the caps on your MDI and spacer when finished.
10. If you are using an MDI that contains a steroid, gargle and rinse your mouth with
water or mouthwash after each use.
NOTE: These instructions are for a metered-dose inhaler only. Inhaled dry powder
capsules are used differently. To use a dry powder inhaler, close your mouth tightly
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