What Is a Breath Activated MDI?

Question: What Is a Breath Activated MDI?

Answer: A breath-activated metered dose inhaler is an alternate kind of MDI that can be used by people who have a hard time mastering the technique of an MDI. Sometimes, it is also called breath actuated. Breath activated (or actuated) means that you do not have to press on the canister to release the asthma medicine. Instead, the medicine comes out automatically as you breathe in.

Breath activated MDIs do not use a spacer. They are also easier to use because they do they require you to time pressing a canister while you breathe in. This device can be especially helpful for the elderly for that reason. But, it is still not a perfect solution. The asthma medicine must still be inhaled slowly to work right. And that can be a tricky technique too. Breath-activated MDIs are not used all that often.

Also, the evidence from the published clinical literature shows no difference in clinical effectiveness between alternative inhaler devices (breath-actuated) compared to standard MDI with or without a spacer device.