Which device is used to deliver asthma medications in metered doses?

• A. Nebulizer
• B. Metered-dose inhaler
• C. Oral tablet
• D. Intravenous infusion

Answer: (B)

A device that delivers a fixed amount of medication with each use is designed for precise, metered dosing in asthma care. The metered-dose inhaler releases a specific, measured puff of aerosol every time you actuate it, and you inhale that defined amount into the lungs. This lets clinicians and patients control how much medicine reaches the airways, which is essential for steady symptom management and dose titration. Techniques like using a spacer can help most of the dose reach the lungs rather than staying in the mouth or throat.

Other options don’t provide the same per-puff dosing or delivery route. A nebulizer makes a continuous mist over several minutes rather than a single measured dose per inhalation, and the medication is not delivered in a fixed dose with each breath. An oral tablet is swallowed and absorbed systemically, not inhaled, and an intravenous infusion introduces the drug directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the lungs. The metered-dose inhaler is the device specifically designed to deliver asthma medications in metered, inhaled doses.