Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practical skills in using inhalers for asthmatic outpatients

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways with increasing prevalence worldwide, becoming a burden for the healthcare system. Currently, inhaled therapy is the mainstay of asthma treatment. Factors associated with the incorrect use of inhalers were lack of knowledge or false beliefs. Incorrect inhalation techniques are the most common reasons that lead to uncontrolled asthma and treatment failure. Objectives: (1) To survey the knowledge and attitude of asthmatic outpatients towards asthma disease, treatment medicines and inhaler use. (2) To assess the patient’s practical skills in inhalation technique. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on asthmatic outpatients treated at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy hospital from March 2022 to April 2022. Results and conclusions: A total of 102 asthmatic patients were enrolled in the study. The proportion of males accounted for 62.7%. The mean age of patients was 59.2 ± 15.4. Regarding knowledge assessment, 31.4% of the patients had good knowledge of diseases and inhalers. Regarding that attitude, 24.5% of patients had a good attitude towards the disease and inhalers. The percentage of patients showing good practical skills in metered dose inhaler use (MDI) and dry powder inhaler (DPI) - Turbuhaler was 54.5%, DPI - Accuhaler was 66.7%. Key words: bronchial asthma, inhalers, metered dose inhaler, dry powder inhaler