NARRATOR: SOME PEOPLE WITH BREATHING PROBLEMS
NEED TO INHALE MEDICINE INTO THEIR LUNGS.
INHALED MEDICINES CAN BE DELIVERED
BY A DEVICE CALLED A "NEBULIZER"
OR BY A VARIETY OF DEVICES CALLED "INHALERS."
THIS VIDEO WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO USE ONE SOFT MIST INHALER
CALLED A "RESPIMAT."
THIS RESPIMAT INHALER GIVES YOU TWO MEDICINES AT THE SAME TIME,
IPRATROPIUM AND ALBUTEROL.
THIS COMBINATION IS ALSO KNOWN AS "COMBIVENT."
IPRATROPIUM AND ALBUTEROL ARE USED
TO TREAT CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE, OR COPD.
THE MEDICINES HELP RELAX AND OPEN THE AIRWAYS.
THIS REDUCES ANY COPD-RELATED FLARE-UPS,
SUCH AS COUGHING, WHEEZING, OR SHORTNESS OF BREATH.
IT ALSO HELPS YOUR LUNGS WORK BETTER,
SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO BREATHE EASIER.
REMEMBER, THE RESPIMAT INHALER IS NOT A RESCUE INHALER.
RESCUE INHALERS GIVE RELIEF RIGHT AWAY
TO SOMEONE WHO'S HAVING A SUDDEN BREATHING PROBLEM.
YOUR DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST CAN TELL YOU
MORE ABOUT RESCUE INHALERS IF YOU NEED ONE.
WHEN YOU GET YOUR RESPIMAT INHALER,
CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATE
TO MAKE SURE THE MEDICINE ISN'T EXPIRED.
THE INHALER IS MADE UP OF TWO PIECES
THAT FIT AND WORK TOGETHER.
THERE'S THE EXTERNAL SHELL,
WHICH IS THE RESPIMAT DEVICE,
AND THERE'S THE CARTRIDGE
THAT CONTAINS THE MIXTURE OF THE TWO MEDICINES
IPRATROPIUM AND ALBUTEROL.
LET'S HAVE A CLOSER LOOK.
AT THE TOP, THERE'S A CAP
WHICH FLIPS OPEN TO REVEAL THE MOUTHPIECE AND AIR VENTS,
ONE ON EACH SIDE.
OPENING THE CAP ALSO SHOWS YOU THE DOSE RELEASE BUTTON.
FARTHER DOWN YOU CAN SEE THE SAFETY CATCH,
THE CLEAR BASE,
AND THE PIERCING ELEMENT INSIDE THE BOTTOM OF THE CLEAR BASE.
WE'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU SEE A DOSE INDICATOR.
THIS TELLS YOU HOW MANY DOSES ARE LEFT IN THE INHALER,
AND YOU SEE A SPACE FOR WRITING THE DISCARD DATE.
ONCE ASSEMBLED, THE INHALER CAN BE USED FOR 90 DAYS.
OF COURSE, THE RESPIMAT DEVICE IS NO GOOD BY ITSELF.
IT CONTAINS NO MEDICINE YET.
THAT'S WHERE THE CARTRIDGE COMES IN.
NOW LET'S LEARN HOW TO PUT THESE PIECES TOGETHER.
THE FIRST STEP IS TO PRESS THE SAFETY RELEASE BUTTON
ON THE RESPIMAT DEVICE
AND GENTLY PULL THE CLEAR BASE FREE.
DON'T REACH INSIDE THE DEVICE,
AS YOU MIGHT ACCIDENTALLY TOUCH THE SHARP PIERCING TOOL.
NOW IT'S TIME TO INSERT THE CARTRIDGE OF MEDICINE
INTO THE RESPIMAT DEVICE.
PUT THE CARTRIDGE IN NARROW END FIRST.
GENTLY PUSH THE CARTRIDGE AGAINST A FIRM SURFACE
TO MAKE SURE IT'S INSERTED CORRECTLY.
YOU SHOULD FEEL WHEN THE NARROW END SITS CORRECTLY
AT THE TOP OF THE RESPIMAT DEVICE.
NOTICE THAT THE CARTRIDGE OF MEDICINE
DOESN'T GO IN ALL THE WAY.
ABOUT AN EIGHTH OF AN INCH IS STILL STICKING OUT.
NOW SNAP THE CLEAR BASE BACK INTO PLACE.
YOU CAN FEEL AND HEAR IT CLICK CLOSED.
ONCE THE INHALER HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER,
IT SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN APART.
WHEN THE MEDICINE IS GONE
OR THE DISCARD DATE HAS BEEN REACHED,
YOU THROW AWAY THE ENTIRE UNIT.
THE INHALER IS NOW FULLY ASSEMBLED,
BUT IT'S STILL NOT QUITE READY TO USE.
IT HAS TO BE PRIMED FIRST.
TO PRIME THE RESPIMAT,
HOLD THE INHALER UPRIGHT WITH THE CAP CLOSED.
TURN THE BASE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE WHITE ARROWS ON THE LABEL
IN ONE CONTINUOUS MOTION UNTIL YOU HEAR A CLICK,
ABOUT HALF A TURN.
THEN FLIP THE CAP OPEN.
POINT THE INHALER AWAY FROM YOU
AND PRESS THE DOSE RELEASE BUTTON.
YOU MIGHT NOT SEE ANYTHING COME OUT THIS FIRST TIME.
THEN CLOSE THE CAP.
AND NOW REPEAT THE PROCESS.
TWIST THE BASE, OPEN THE CAP, POINT THE INHALER AWAY,
PRESS THE DOSE RELEASE BUTTON, AND CLOSE THE CAP AGAIN.
YOU'LL SEE A FINE MIST COME OUT
WHEN YOU PUSH THE DOSE RELEASE BUTTON.
ONCE YOU SEE THE MIST,
REPEAT THOSE STEPS 3 MORE TIMES.
NOW THE INHALER IS FULLY PRIMED
AND GOOD FOR ABOUT 120 MORE DOSES.
NOW IT'S TIME TO TAKE A DOSE OF THE MEDICINE.
TWIST THE BASE, OPEN THE CAP,
BREATHE OUT FULLY AND SLOWLY,
MAKING AS MUCH ROOM IN YOUR LUNGS AS YOU CAN
FOR THE MEDICINE.
LIFT THE INHALER'S MOUTHPIECE TO YOUR LIPS.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO COVER THE AIR VENT HOLES.
NOW BREATHE IN SLOWLY AND DEEPLY THROUGH YOUR MOUTH
AS YOU PRESS THE DOSE RELEASE BUTTON.
CONTINUE BREATHING IN SLOWLY FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN.
NOW TRY TO HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR 10 SECONDS.
WHEN YOU'RE DONE HOLDING YOUR BREATH,
FLIP THE CAP SHUT, AND THAT'S IT.
THERE ARE A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER.
IF YOU HAVEN'T USED THE RESPIMAT INHALER
IN MORE THAN 3 DAYS,
YOU NEED TO PRIME IT ONCE.
IF IT'S BEEN MORE THAN 21 DAYS,
YOU SHOULD PRIME IT AS THOUGH IT WERE BRAND-NEW.
AND OF COURSE, IF THE DISCARD DATE HAS PASSED,
YOU SHOULD THROW AWAY THE ENTIRE UNIT.
REMEMBER TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE DOSE INDICATOR.
THE INDICATOR DOESN'T GIVE AN EXACT NUMBER
OF DOSES REMAINING,
BUT IT GIVES A GOOD IDEA OF HOW MANY MIGHT BE LEFT.
WHEN THE POINTER REACHES THE RED AREA,
YOU HAVE ABOUT 30 DOSES OF MEDICINE LEFT.
THAT'S WHEN YOU NEED TO GET A NEW INHALER.
THE RESPIMAT INHALER IS EASY TO CLEAN.
JUST SNAP OPEN THE CAP
AND WIPE THE MOUTHPIECE WITH A CLEAN DAMP CLOTH.
THE MOUTHPIECE MAY GROW A BIT FADED OR DISCOLORED OVER TIME,
BUT THAT'S NORMAL.
NOW YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHERE TO STORE YOUR INHALER.
IT SHOULD BE SOMEPLACE DRY
THAT STAYS AT A COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURE.
A KITCHEN CABINET MIGHT BE A GOOD SPOT.
IT WON'T GET TOO HOT OR TOO COLD, IT STAYS DRY,
AND IT'S UP AND AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND PETS.
IF YOU FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS,
YOU'LL FIND THAT YOUR RESPIMAT INHALER IS EASY TO USE.
WE HOPE THAT THIS VIDEO, AND YOUR MEDICINE,
WILL HELP YOU BREATHE EASIER.