Member experts from the Airways Disorders NetWork participated in a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) teleconference titled, “Asthma and COPD Inhalers That Contain Ozone-Depleting CFCs” on April 13, 2010.
On February 18, 2010, the ACCP participated in a teleconference hosted by the FDA to explain new information about long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs). This new safety information for consumers and health-care professionals has been posted on the FDA Web site.
This is a follow-up to previous Early Communications issued in 2008 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) describing a potential increase in the risk of stroke, heart attack, or death from a cardiovascular cause related to the use of tiotropium, which is marketed as Spiriva HandiHaler.
The patient is a 57-year-old African-American man with a history of well-controlled asthma treated with mometasone. He had a positive PPD test in the 1970s and presented to the pulmonary clinic for evaluation of chronic, progressive cough and abnormal chest imaging. The patient’s cough began approximately 2 months ago. His cough was initially nonproductive but progressed to become productive with thick, tenacious yellow-green sputum. He denied any weight loss, fevers, chills, or hemoptysis.
The older chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-containing inhalers will be completely off the market at the end of 2008, but they already are getting harder to find.
Hydroflouroalkane (HFA) inhalers are as effective as CFC inhalers and have the same rate of side effects. However, if they are not used properly, patients will not get the adequate dose. As with older inhalers, it is the technique of using the inhaler that may lead to poor results, not the type of propellant.