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An inhaler spacer is a device that attaches to a metered-dose inhaler (MDI) to improve medication delivery to the lungs. It acts as a holding chamber that allows patients to inhale medication more slowly and effectively, reducing oral deposition and increasing pulmonary drug delivery.
Spacers work by creating a chamber where aerosol particles can slow down and larger particles can settle out before inhalation. This reduces the velocity of drug particles, allowing more time for propellant to evaporate and creating smaller, respirable particles that can penetrate deeper into the airways rather than impacting in the mouth and throat.
Spacers are particularly beneficial for patients with poor hand-breath coordination, children, elderly patients, and those experiencing acute bronchospasm. They significantly reduce oropharyngeal deposition of inhaled corticosteroids, decreasing local side effects like thrush, while simultaneously improving drug delivery to target airways and enhancing therapeutic efficacy.