[Assessing Inhaler Technique in COPD Patients Pre and Post Health Education]

By

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTii

ABSTRACTiii

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION & LITERATURE REVIEW1

COPD1

Introduction of the Chapter2

Outline of the Search Strategy3

Search Terms Used3

Databases Used3

Limits Applied3

Outcome Of Search4

Strengths and Limitations4

Summary and Conclusion4

The Use of Inhalers5

Treatment for COPD6

Methodological Issues7

CHAPTER 02: METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN RESEARCH8

Introduction8

Aims and Objectives8

Research Question8

Research Methodology: Strenghts and Weaknesses8

Instrument9

Population, Sample and Sampling10

Study setting10

Sample11

Survey Questionnaire11

Design and Application of Questionnaires12

Questionnaire Responses12

Data Collectionand Data Analysis Methods13

Pilot Test13

Procedure14

Confidentiality14

Reliability and Validity15

Ethical Concerns15

Limitations of the Study16

Conclusion16

CHAPTER 03: SUMMARY & CONCLUSION17

REFERENCES19

APPENDIX22

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would first like to express my gratitude for my research supervisor, colleagues, peers and family whose immense and constant support has been a source of continuous guidance and inspiration.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to identify the concepts of the assessment of inhaler techniques used by COPD patients, pre and post health education. The main focus of study is on COPD and the significance of inhaler techniques in relation to health education. The study also analyzes many aspects of COPD and its treatment & tries to address the issues of COPD, and how COPD patients can benefit by receiving awareness about the various inhaling techniques. The research will be beneficial to the COPD patients in terms of their social life and health conditions because the identification of an effective treatment and use of inhaler's techniques may provide positive results.CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION & LITERATURE REVIEW

COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disorder characterized by the existence of an obstruction of the airways usually progressive and generally irreversible. It is caused mainly by smoke and produces primary symptom involving decreased respiratory capacity, which progresses slowly over the years and cause significant deterioration in the quality of life of those affected and premature death (Gibson 1998, pp. 125-133).

A test called spirometry is used to diagnose COPD, which measures lung functional capacity. The subjects had an FEV 1 post-bronchodilator less than 80% and a FEV 1 / FVC less than 0.70. Between 20% and 25% of smokers develop the disease, but the causes are unknown predisposing to development, although it may be a multifactorial component that includes environmental elements (such as individual susceptibility) (Fishman 1994, pp. 825-833).

COPD is mainly associated with two diseases (Kleinhenz 1992, pp. 243-256):

Emphysema: Lung emphysema is defined as a permanent enlargement of the bronchioles terminal wall with destruction of the alveolar, which may or may not result in the occurrence of fibrosis. This causes the collapse of the airways. Evidence is often in the form of tachypnea, but with decreased breath sounds on auscultation, and increased retrosternal space left on the lateral radiograph of the chest.

Chronic Bronchitis: An inflammation of the bronchi, which causes reduced air flow into and out of the lungs. In parallel, increased mucus that clogs the airways. In clinical terms, it is considered chronic when cough and phlegm is seen on most days for 3 months a year, in at least 2 consecutive years.

The treatment currently uses a holistic approach aims at suppressing inflammation and slowing disease progression, prevention of relapses and remissions elongation, increased exercise tolerance, ...