The ABCs of Using the I-neb AAD System

Learn the ABCs—Angle, Breathing, Cleaning—to make the most of your Ventavis treatment.

Angle:

Holding the I-neb AAD System at the proper angle ensures continuous delivery.

  • Sit in a comfortable, upright position.
  • Hold the I-neb AAD System at a 90-degree angle to your mouth, like you would when eating a hamburger. Resting your elbows on the table while holding your I-neb AAD System makes it easy.
  • The I-neb AAD System will remind you with 4 short beeps if you are not holding it at a 90-degree angle.
  • Holding the I-neb AAD System at the wrong angle will increase the length of your treatment.

Breathing:

Proper breathing is the single most important part of your treatment.

Keep your lips closed around the I-neb AAD System mouthpiece as you breathe in and out.

  • Breathe in and out through your mouth, not your nose.
  • The I-neb AAD System will use your first 3 breaths in and out to adapt to your own breathing pattern. As you begin your 4th breath in, Ventavis will be delivered.
  • The I-neb AAD System will vibrate as you begin to take a breath in to let you know Ventavis is being delivered.

Relax and breathe in and out in a slow and steady manner.

  • While breathing, try counting one one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand.
  • The longer you can breathe in, the more Ventavis is delivered on each breath, and your treatment times may decrease.
  • If you need a break, take one. Rest a minute or two, then restart your treatment. Remember, the I-neb AAD System will take 3 breaths in and out to adapt to your breathing pattern before Ventavis will be delivered again.

Cleaning:

 

To keep your I-neb AAD System in the best working condition, clean it once a day and boil it weekly.

At the end of the day, remove the chamber lids with mesh and place them in the mesh wash basket.

Place the mouthpiece, medication chamber, and chamber lids in the main wash basket. Using only one drop of dishwashing liquid, wash all the pieces in distilled water. (Do not use dishwashing liquid that contains bleach, fragrance, or antibacterial ingredients.)

Rinse the pieces with more distilled water (never reuse the distilled water). Shake off the water and allow to air dry for 2 hours.

Weekly boiling

  • Put all of the parts (not the body) in the cleaning baskets.
  • Boil in distilled water with 1 drop of dishwashing liquid for 6 to 10 minutes. Do not microwave—some of the parts are metal. Also, do not wash in the dishwasher, because this may damage the parts.
  • Rinse with distilled water.
  • Shake off the water and then allow to air dry

See the "Cleaning the I-neb AAD System" section for more details on cleaning.

Practice your ABCs every day

Read about:

*Patient Indication and Important Safety Information

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*What is Ventavis?

Ventavis is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with certain kinds of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a condition in which blood pressure is too high in the blood vessels between the heart and the lungs. Ventavis may improve your ability to exercise and your symptoms for a short time by lowering your blood pressure and opening up the blood vessels in your lungs.

  • In the key clinical study, Ventavis showed clinical improvement as defined by 3 specific measurements: ability to exercise as measured by the 6-minute walk test, symptoms (NYHA Functional Class), and decrease in the worsening of PAH symptoms.
  • Ventavis is a medication you breathe in through a special device called the I-neb Adaptive Aerosol Delivery (AAD) System.

The study showing Ventavis is effective included mainly patients with NYHA Functional Class III-IV PAH. In these patients, PAH was caused by unidentified or hereditary factors (65%) or connective tissue diseases (23%).

Ventavis has not been studied in children younger than 18 years old.

What is the most important information I should know about Ventavis?

Ventavis may not be right for you. Before taking Ventavis, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you have liver or kidney problems; are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant; or are breast-feeding. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take medicines used to treat high blood pressure or heart problems or medicines that lessen blood clotting (warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven). Ventavis and other medicines may affect each other, causing side effects.

What are the possible side effects of Ventavis?

  • Ventavis may cause side effects, including feeling dizzy, lightheaded, and faint. If you have any of these side effects, you should stand up slowly when you get out of chairs or bed. Tell your doctor if your fainting gets worse during treatment with Ventavis. Your doctor may need to change your dose or treatment.
  • Do not drive a car or operate any tools or machines if dizziness or fainting from low blood pressure is a problem for you.
  • You may have trouble breathing after taking Ventavis, because it may cause the muscles around your airway to tighten (bronchospasm). Get emergency help right away if you have trouble breathing.
  • The most common side effects of Ventavis include red face (flushing), increased cough, low blood pressure, headaches, nausea, spasm of your jaw muscles that makes it hard to open your mouth, and fainting.

Talk to your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of Ventavis. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full Prescribing Information

For more information about Ventavis, please call 1-866-ACTELION (1-866-228-3546).