Vol. 1 No. 11 (2021)
Health Technology Reviews

Medication Administration With Inhalers or Nebulizers

Published November 9, 2021

Key Messages

  • Delivery of medication via metered-dose inhalers to children or adults with asthma, or adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at emergency departments or intensive care units, may be as effective as nebulizers in terms of clinical parameters and health care resource use.
  • Limited data on adverse events showed no significant differences between metered-dose inhalers and nebulizers.
  • No evidence was found on the clinical effectiveness of dry powder inhalers in comparison with nebulizers or metered-dose inhalers.
  • No evidence was found on the cost-effectiveness of medication administration via metered-dose inhalers, nebulizers, or dry powder inhalers in comparison with each other.
  • No evidence-based guidelines with recommendations regarding the comparative use of metered-dose inhalers, dry powder inhalers, or nebulizers for administration of medication were identified.