Paediatric Volumatic

[RedcupsforChristmas]

We were given an inhaler with a spacer to take home after DS ended up in hospital last week. As DH was there with him he didnt ask any questions re the Spacer, so can anyone in the know advise please,

-is it reusable? How do I clean it? Weve obviously used it several times but he doesnt need the inhaler now, so can I clean and store it in case I need it again?

Hi redcup, yes you can clean it and store it.
They advise to clean with warm water, and let it dry out on its own, if you use a towel to clean the inside I can cause static which effects the inhaler apparently!

I wash my sons once every 2 weeks, leave it in boiling water for a few hours then leave it to dry overnight. We have 2 which makes it easier!

There should be an instruction leaflet with it

I put ds's spacer in the dishwasher once a week.

As lollipoppi says. I was told to clean it with warm water and let it dry naturally but not to use tea towels or washing up liquid. I store it in a large plastic container which keeps it clean and enables dc to take it to school. If your ds goes to school it would be helpful to have another spacer and inhalers to keep at school/nursery.

I put mine in the dishwasher. It's really important to wash it regularly if used with the brown (preventative inhaler) as the steroids will encourage unseen fungal growth and encourage yeast/thrush conditions in the mouth and throat.

If you keep using it without cleaning it, you'll see it start to get a bit cloudy as the inhaler drug builds up on the sides.

But it all dissolves well in water, so a warm rinse gets rid of the build-up I find. The squidgy mouthpiece bit might need a more thorough clean if you've got snot/dribble in it (it can't just be my DCs surely?!)

Is it just the blue inhaler he's been given?

Thank you everyone, yes its just the blue inhaler. He had severe tonsillitis and was gasping for air, very scary as hes only 2. All better now but its been a learning curve. Good thing I asked about cleaning on here, I will now go and give it a wash!:)

I recall being told by a nurse that you shouldn't wash them too often (we use ours with blue inhalers mostly, and used singulair as a preventative rather than brown inhalers), though i can't say for sure how accurate this advice is. I recall the reason given was that the first few puffs are more inclined to get stuck to the inside of the spacer, and once its already hazy then the drug will be delivered more effectively.

It doesn't really seem logical to me though! We wash ours perhaps fortnightly, though it looks manky by then.

Really?! Last time DS was in hospital, the nurse gave me a cat's bum mouth about the grubby spacer and said the drug would be sticking to it

Maybe they don't want you scrubbing it and scratching the inside of it, that would really bugger up the drug delivery...

I was told to squirt a puff or 2 into the spacer before using it for the very first time to prevent losing the drug to the sides of the spacer. Boulevard, I think your nurse is in the minority.

Ps hope mini red cups is better soon.