Children & Adolescents Clinic

 Home Parent's Guide

Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0

Metered-Dose Inhaler (MDI) Used with an Inspirease Spacer

The Inspirease is a spacer that extends the space between the metered-dose inhaler (MDI) and the mouth. The spacer helps the child get more medication into the lungs and less onto the back of the throat. The spacer is particularly helpful if your child has difficulty breathing in slowly and depressing the inhaler at the same time.

To attach the Inspirease spacer to the MDI:

  1. Remove the inhaler canister from the plastic case and shake it vigorously.

  2. Attach the canister to the inhaler mouthpiece.

  3. Attach the inhaler mouthpiece to the blue reservoir bag by matching the tabs in the reservoir bag.

  4. Push in, twist, and lock.

  5. Pull the blue reservoir bag all the way open so there are no wrinkles.

To use the MDI with the Inspirease spacer:

  1. Put the Inspirease mouthpiece between the teeth and seal the lips around it.

  2. Depress the metered-dose inhaler. The medication will be trapped in the reservoir bag.

  3. Breathe in slowly over 3 to 5 seconds. The reservoir will collapse as the child inhales. A whistling noise will sound if the breath is too fast.

  4. Hold the breath for 5 to 10 seconds.

  5. Breathe out slowly back into the reservoir bag.

  6. Still using the bag, breathe in and out twice more.

Cleaning the equipment

The Inspirease mouthpiece should be washed daily with warm water and dried. (Do not put it into the dishwasher.) The manufacturer does not recommend washing the reservoir bag. The bag should be replaced when it wears out, or once every month if it hasn't worn out.


Written by the Asthma Task Force at The Children's Hospital, Denver.
Copyright 1999 Clinical Reference Systems