|
| Inhaler | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|
| pMDI | (i) Portable and compact | (i) Require coordination |
| (ii) Multidose device | (ii) High deposition in mouth and oropharynx |
| (iii) Metered dose | (iii) “Cold Freon” effect |
| (iv) Established/familiar | (iv) Contain propellants |
| (v) Available for most inhaled medications |
|
| pMDI + spacer | (i) Lower dependency on inspiratory effort | (i) Less portable than pMDI |
| (ii) Easier to coordinate | (ii) Certain spacers may acquire electrostatic charge |
| (iii) Higher lung deposition than pMDI | (iii) Additional cost to pMDI |
| (iv) Reduced mouth and oropharynx deposition | (iv) Requires regular maintenance |
|
| BA-MDI | (i) Portable and compact | (i) Contain propellants |
| (ii) Multidose device | (ii) “Cold Freon” effect |
| (iii) Breath-actuated | (iii) Requires a moderate inspiratory effort |
|
| DPI | (i) Portable and compact | (i) Requires a minimum inspiratory effort |
| (ii) Breath-actuated | (ii) May not be appropriate for emergency situations |
| (iii) Does not contain propellants | (iii) Multiple designs (may be confusing for the patient) |
| (iv) Multidose devices available | (iv) May be complicated to load |
|
| SMI | (i) Portable and compact | (i) Not breath-actuated |
| (ii) Multidose device | (ii) Only one device currently available |
| (iii) Lower dependency on inspiratory effort |
| (iv) High fine-particle fraction |
| (v) High lung deposition; low mouth and oropharynx deposition |
| (vi) Does not contain propellants |
|
| Nebulizers | (i) Can be used at any age | (i) Most lack portability |
| (ii) Can be used by acutely ill | (ii) Some require an outside energy source |
| (iii) No specific inhalation technique required | (iii) Noisy |
| (iv) Can be used to dispense drugs not available as pMDI or DPI | (iv) Can result in longer treatment times |
| (v) Can be expensive |
|
