A nurse is reinforcing teaching with the parents of a child who is starting to use a spacer with a metered-dose inhaler (MDI) to treat asthma. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?

A. The spacer increases the amount of medication delivered to the oropharynx: A spacer actually reduces the amount of medication that deposits in the mouth and throat, minimizing irritation and the risk of oral side effects such as thrush. B. Cover exhalation slots of the spacer with lips when inhaling: Most spacers have one-way valves or open-ended designs that do not require covering exhalation slots. Covering these incorrectly can interfere with proper medication delivery. C. Inhale rapidly when using the spacer with the MDI: Medication should be inhaled slowly and deeply when using a spacer to allow optimal deposition of particles in the lower airways. Rapid inhalation can reduce medication effectiveness. D. The spacer increases the amount of medication delivered to the lungs: The primary purpose of a spacer is to improve medication delivery to the lungs by slowing down the aerosol and reducing oropharyngeal deposition. This enhances the therapeutic effect of the inhaled medication.