Benefits of inhalation chambers in Tunisian children with asthma

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Poor inhalation technique is a cause of failure to control asthma in children;the use of an inhalation chamber in children<4years of age is recommended. The value of its use in children>4years remains poorly studied. Objective:To study the benefits of using an inhalation chamber in asthmatic children aged>4years. Methods:A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on 186asthmatic children followed up at the pneumo-allergology department, pavilion b, Abderrahmane Mami hospital, Ariana Tunis. All the children were aged≥4 years and underwent spirometry. Our population was divided into 2 groups:group1(G1):patients who used an inhalation chamber/group2(G2):patients who did not use an inhalation chamber. Results:The mean age of our population was 8years with age extremes between 4 and 18 years.A male predominance was observed, sex ratio M/F=1.2. The metered dose inhaler was the most frequently prescribed device in our population (94%),with the inhalation chamber used in 36.3% of cases. The mean age of patients using the inhalation chamber was 6.6years, with a significant age difference between the 2 groups (p<10-3).A statistically significant relationship was found between the use of an inhalation chamber and good inhalation technique (p<10-3) as well as good therapeutic compliance (p=0.009). Patients of G1 were more regularly monitored (p=0.039) and had a better peak flow (p=0.5).children inG1 were shorter (p=0.002) and weighed less, with a significant difference (p<10-3). Patients who used an inhalation chamber had less severe asthma with less need for therapeutic steps(p=0.044). Conclusion:The use of an inhalation chamber in patients aged>4years can improve inhalation technique, compliance and therapeutic load.