Patient was educated on the side effects of using Qvar as follows: Opportunistic fungal infection Qvar inhalations can result in opportunistic fungal infection in the oral cavity, such as, candida with the individual presenting with white patches on the tongue and in the oral cavity. This is secondary to immunosuppression due to Qvar use. Osteoporosis Chronic use of Qvar inhalations can result in osteoporosis with weakening of the skeletal framework and pathological fractures. Hypokalemia Chronic [...]

Patient was educated on the side effects of using Qvar as follows: Hypertension Qvar inhalations can result in retention of sodium and water and cause elevated blood pressure. Elevated blood sugars Qvar inhalations for long term can result in increased insulin resistance and contribute towards elevated blood sugars. This particularly can be an issue in diabetics with poor blood sugar control. Secondary bacterial and viral infections Due to the immunosuppression caused by the Qvar inhalations, [...]

Patient was educated on Qvar and its mechanism of action as follows: Chronic inflammation of the airways happens to be the key pathology in conditions such as asthma and COPD. In asthma, the inflammation of smooth muscle in the respiratory passages is secondary to various chemical mediators that are released due to repeated exposure to the allergens in the air. As part of the inflammation, the airways become swollen, increase mucus production, and the smooth [...]

Patient was educated on how to use Qvar aerosol inhaler as follows: Always, check the expiration date on the Qvar inhaler before using it. Shake the inhaler well for 5 seconds before every use. Take the cap off the mouthpiece. Make sure the mouthpiece is clean before having it in the mouth. Hold the Qvar inhaler between the thumb at the base and the index finger at the top, with the canister up and mouthpiece [...]

Patient was educated on counting puffs for Qvar aerosol inhalers with no built-in counters as follows: For Qvar aerosol inhalers that do not have a built-in counter, a manual watch is mandatory, to keep track of the number of doses of medication used. Every canister will have the number of doses or puffs it carries, printed on the side of the canister. Mark the date in your diary, on which the canister was first used. [...]