Skill in the handling of aerosols by health care personnel

: Aerosol bronchodilators are extensively used in bronchial asthma treatment and other obstructive pulmonary diseases. Its therapeutic efficacy is closely related to a correct administration technique. We present the results obtained in a prospective study on the skill in the use of the health care professionals in our hospital. A total of 127 physicians and nurses were interviewed, being 110 finally included in the study. Only 22.7% of them used the aerosol correctly and we did not find significant differences between the three groups into which we divided the study (Staff physicians, Residents, and nurses). The most frequently found mistakes were not maintaining as correct apnea after inhalation (62.7%) and not shaking the aerosol before use (48.2%). Up to a 57.2% of those interviewed made two or more of the evaluated mistakes. We conclude that although aerosol bronchodilators and corticoids are extensively prescribed, the lack of knowledge about their correct use by health care professionals is very high, and this could contribute to their misuse by patients under their care.