The professional's guide to product selection
2Tone trains patients to inhale at the correct speed, helping coordination, minimising waste and maximising the benefit their inhaler can give.
Stockists: Mistry Medical Supplies.
Made of porcelain, this salt pipe lasts five years. It contains 50g crystal salt. No refill is required.
Stockists: Cisca
The misuse of inhalers is common among people with asthma. Consequently, only small amounts of medication reach the patients’ lungs. The In-Check device helps to identify whether a patient is using their inhaler correctly by simulating the resistance of popular inhalers (MDIs and DPIs). This enables clinicians to train patients to use the optimal force to achieve optimal deposition of medication with a particular device.
Inspiratory flows in the range of 15 l/min to 120 l/ min can be measured. The In-Check device is accurate to +/- 10% or 10 l/min (whichever is greater).
The In-Check device is supplied with a sterilisable plastic mouthpiece and an adapter for a paediatric mouthpiece. A one-way disposable mouthpiece or a bacterial/viral filter can be used to minimise the risk of cross infection.
Stockists: Clement Clarke, Medisave.
For use with placebo pMDI training inhalers. Helps patients learn to inhale at correct flow rate by whistling to provide a clear positive signal. These are manufactured for several different devices.
Stockists: Clement Clarke, Williams Medical Supplies, Medisave.
For patients with chest congestion. The Flutter is a palm-sized mucus clearance device. Patients exhale a number of times into the mouthpiece of the Flutter, causing a steel ball to vibrate in the casing. The pressure of blowing against this steel ball makes vibrations that travel back into the lungs, where they vibrate the airways to release the mucus. It does not require batteries, and is easy to clean.
Stockists: Evergreen Nebulisers, Williams Medical Supplies.
The Haleraid helps patients grip and press the canister of their inhalers. This is useful for people who have arthritic hands or another disability affecting the hands. The Haleraid is placed around the inhaler and squeezed to deliver a dose. Various sizes are available to fit different inhalers.
Stockists: Best purchased by patients directly from pharmacies.
Mag-Flo is suitable for use with most DPIs and comes with adaptors for connecting to most makes. Patients can test their inhaler technique by attaching their inhaler to the Mag- Flo and breathing in quickly. When they have reached the minimum required inhaled flow rate, a green light will come on. They should then keep inhaling for as long as possible with the green light on. Inhale too fast or too slow and the green light will go out.
Stockists: Fyne Dynamics, Medisave.
The Tri-Ball incentive spirometer helps the patient to recover normal respiration after chest or abdominal surgery. Differing from other respiratory exercisers, Tri-Ball incorporates a container for the mouthpiece after it is washed, allowing it to drain.
Stockists: Medisave
Patients breathe out slowly and completely into the Pari O-PEP. This action causes a steel ball in the O-PEP to vibrate. These vibrations combined with the gentle resistance when breathing against the ball thus causing airways to open and mucus to be dislodged. The cycle of breathing in and out for 10 to 15 breaths is then repeated. The O-PEP is dishwasher safe and autoclavable.
Stockists: Evergreen Nebulisers
The Philips VitaBreath dyspnoea relief device is intended as an adjunct therapy for people with COPD to provide short-term relief of shortness of breath associated with physical exertion. It is for use in the home and hospital/institutional environments.
VitaBreath provides two levels of pressure, one on inhalation and another on expiration, to help patients recover from shortness of breath quickly. This bi-level pressure therapy helps make it easier to breathe and keeps airways open. It detects breathing patterns to provide the right level of pressure at all times.
Stockists: Philips, but must be ordered on prescription.
Exhaling through the Shaker causes a steel ball to vibrate in the casing, creating a movement in the airways that travels deep into the lungs and ‘shakes’ any stubborn mucus loose – where, with gentle coughing, patients can more comfortably expel it.
Stockists: Evergreen Nebulisers
A ceramic pipe filled with salt crystals from Himalayan caves. Its salty microclimate calms and cleanses the cells of the respiratory system. When using the pipe, the moisture of the passing inhaled air absorbs the micron-sized particles of the salt which then penetrate deep into the respiratory system to achieve beneficial effects. The active ingredient induces natural self-cleansing mechanisms that flush away the impurities from the surface of the cells. Salt particles also mechanically clean the air passages. It is recommended to use the pipe for 30 minutes per day. Refills are available.
Stockists: Sims Salt Pipes
Acapella combines the benefits of both PEP therapy and airway vibrations to mobilise pulmonary secretions and can be used in virtually any position allowing patients to move freely and sit, stand or recline.
It improves clearance of secretions and facilitates the opening of airways in patients with lung diseases with secretory problems, such as COPD, asthma and cystic fibrosis. Colour-coded units (green for high- flow, blue for low) help customise treatment for each patient based on their clinical needs. The Acapella frequency and flow resistance can be adjusted simply by turning an adjustment dial.
Stockists: Smiths Medical, Henleys Medical Supplies.
Trainhaler is a placebo-like MDI training system which can be used in conjunction with a Flo-Tone trainer to provide flow and co-ordination coaching.
Stockists: Clement Clarke, Williams Medical Supplies.
The Turbohaler Trainer Whistle is an educational tool designed to help teach patients how to use a Turbohaler correctly.
It works as follows:
1. The user breathes out.
2. The mouthpiece is placed gently between the teeth and the lips closed.
3. The user breathes in forcefully and deeply through the device. The whistle inside the trainer will sound when then they have achieved the inspiration flow required to use the actual Turbohaler.
Stockists: Astra Zeneca
The Vitalograph 4500 AIM™ (Aerosol Inhalation Monitor) is designed to assist medical practitioners in assessing inhaler use, whether MDI or DPI. Mastery of the correct technique will support more accurate drug delivery and good patient compliance, resulting in better disease management and fewer visits to medical professionals.
Stockists: Vitalograph, Williams Medical Supplies, Medisave, Mistry Medical Supplies.