Albuterol is a medication used to treat the symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is actually an umbrella term for a group of diseases that affect the lungs and breathing airways. The symptoms that albuterol affects are wheezing, chest pain and difficulty with breathing. It works by relaxing the breathing airways and promoting the opening of these airways to make breathing easier. Albuterol is prescribed in tablet form, syrup form and liquid form. The liquid can be administered by a nebulizer, which turns the liquid into a mist so that it can be breathed in, or as an aerosol.
Aerosol Canister
When albuterol is prescribed in aerosol form, it comes in small canisters that contain a liquid form of the medication. The canister is connected to an inhaler so that it can be breathed in. According to The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, it is usually taken every four to six hours as needed when used to prevent or treat symptoms. When used in conjunction to make breathing easier for the purpose of exercising, it is taken 15 to 30 minutes before the start of exercise.
Counter
A canister of albuterol is designed to administer 200 inhalations. Some canisters have a counter that counts down the number of inhalations. When the counter reaches 020, the physician should be contacted so that the prescription can be refilled. When the counter reaches 000, the canister should no longer be used, even if its weight indicates some liquid might remain inside. The counter is an indication that further inhalations would not have the correct amount of medication. If the canister does not have a counter, the number of inhalations needs to be manually counted.
Precautions
The albuterol aerosol canister should not be used near a source of heat or an open flame. These can cause the canister to explode. The mouthpiece that the canister connects to is part of the inhaler and should only be used for albuterol inhalations, not for administering any other medications. The canister should not be placed in water to see if there is any medication inside. Caution should be used so that no medication is sprayed into the eyes.
Priming
If the canister and inhaler are being used for the first time or if they have not been used for 14 or more days, the inhaler needs to be primed by spraying the inhaler four times. This is performed by pressing down the inhaler on the canister. The inhaler needs to be aimed away from the face. According to the American Association for Respiratory Care, it the inhaler has not been used for four or more days, it needs to be primed with two pumps. These also need to be aimed away from the face.
Inhaler
To use the inhaler, the dust cap needs to be removed from the mouthpiece. The canister should be shaken. After a full exhalation through the mouth, the inhaler mouthpiece is placed in the mouth and the lips pressed tightly on the mouthpiece. While taking a slow, deep breath, the inhaler is pressed down, which sprays the medication into the mouth. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists recommends trying to hold the breath for ten seconds. The prescribing physician should go over the steps with the patient so that the patient understands the process and can correctly perform the treatment.
