Helping Your Child Use a Metered-Dose Inhaler With a Mask Spacer: Care Instructions
A metered-dose inhaler lets your child breathe a measured dose of medicine into their lungs. The best way to
get the medicine into your child's lungs is to use a spacer. The spacer holds the dose of medicine so your
child can use as many breaths as needed to inhale it.
A regular spacer has a mouthpiece that younger children have a hard time using. They can use a mask with a
spacer instead. The mask spacer fits over the child's mouth and nose.
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Read the instructions that come with the inhaler and the spacer.
Inhalers come in different shapes, sizes, and doses. Each kind is used differently.
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Understand how to use the inhaler and spacer. Ask the nurse, doctor,
pharmacist, or respiratory therapist to make sure that you use them the right way.
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Make sure to use the right inhaler at the right time. Label each
inhaler if you have more than one.
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Get inhaler refills before you run out. Use the dose counter to see
how many doses are left.
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Follow the instructions for cleaning the inhaler and the spacer. They
will help you do it the right way for each inhaler.
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Check the instructions to see if you need to prime the inhaler (get it
ready) before use. If it needs priming, follow the instructions for how to do so.
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How to help your child
Follow these steps for using a metered-dose inhaler with a mask spacer.
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1. Shake the inhaler for 5 seconds. Remove the cap.
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2. Hold the inhaler upright with the mouthpiece at the bottom. Then place the mouthpiece of the
inhaler into the spacer.
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3. Place the mask spacer securely over your child's mouth and nose. Be sure to get a good seal. The
mask must fit snugly, with no gaps between the mask and the skin.
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4. With the mask spacer in place, press down on the inhaler to spray 1 puff of medicine into the
spacer.
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5. Keep the mask spacer in place, and have your child breathe in and out normally for 5 or 6 breaths.
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6. If your child needs another puff of medicine, wait 1 minute between puffs.
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7. Replace the cap on the inhaler.
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8. Have your child rinse their mouth with water if the inhaler has corticosteroids, such as
fluticasone. (Controller inhalers usually have corticosteroids.) Do not let your child swallow the
water.
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Current as of: August 6, 2023
Content Version: 14.0
Care instructions adapted under license by your
healthcare professional. If you have questions about a medical condition or this instruction, always ask
your healthcare professional. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of
this information.
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