Using a spacer with a metered-dose inhaler improves delivery of medicine to the lungs. Which option best describes this combination?

• A. MDI with Spacer
• B. Nebulizer
• C. Inhaler with Mask
• D. CPR

Answer: (A)

A spacer with a metered-dose inhaler helps more medicine reach the lungs. The inhaler ejects a fine spray that can be hard to time with a proper inhalation. The spacer gives the spray a little chamber to sit in, slowing it down and giving you time to take a slow, deep breath. This reduces spraying the medicine into the mouth and throat and allows more of it to get into the lower airways. That’s why this combination delivers medicine to the lungs more effectively and with fewer local side effects. A nebulizer is another device for delivering inhaled meds, but it’s a different setup that creates a continuous mist rather than a timed puff. An inhaler with a mask is used when a seal around a mouthpiece isn’t possible, which is a different arrangement. CPR isn’t related to inhaled medication delivery.