Practice of Metered Dose Inhaler Technique and Health Impacts of COPD Patients in Bangladesh

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to identify the practice of the Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) technique and the health impact of disease and investigate their relationship among COPD patients in Bangladesh. Methods: This was a descriptive correlational study. 102 COPD patients were recruited conveniently from Dhaka's National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH). The data was collected from September to October 2023. Data was collected using an observation checklist and a face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire. A 12-point checklist was used to assess the practice of the MDI technique, and the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) questionnaire was used to measure the health impact. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. Result: Only 5.9% of COPD patients correctly performed the MDI using the technique, and more than half of the patients had a high health impact on COPD. A significant relationship was found between the practice of the MDI technique and the health impact of COPD patients (p=0.001)). The practice of the MDI technique was also associated with the patient's age, smoking, employment status and duration of using MDI. In contrast, the health impact of COPD was associated with the patient's age, education status, marital status, smoking, employment status, monthly family income and duration of using MDI. Conclusion: It is concluded that the majority of COPD patients incorrectly practice their MDI technique, and the health impact on COPD is high. Inhaler teaching and training are highly recommended for COPD patients to minimize errors and promote correct inhaler techniques.