Jennifer A. Pryor

Beyond postural drainage and percussion: Airway clearance in people with cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND Evidence indicates that there are no statistically significant differences in effectiveness among the airway clearance techniques (ACTs) of active cycle of breathing, autogenic drainage, positive expiratory pressure (PEP) or oscillating PEP in the short-term, but are there differences in the long-term (one year)? The objective of the study was to demonstrate non-inferiority in the long-term. METHODS Seventy-five people with cystic fibrosis entered the prospective, randomised controlled trial of these five different ACTs. The primary outcome measure was forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)). Secondary outcome measures included exercise capacity and health related quality of life. RESULTS Using intention to treat, data were available on 65 subjects at the end of the study period. There were no statistically significant differences among the regimens in the primary outcome measurement of FEV(1) (p=0.35). CONCLUSION In different countries either one or several airway clearance regimens are used. This study provides evidence in support of current practices.

Short-term comparative study of high frequency chest wall oscillation and European airway clearance techniques in patients with cystic fibrosis

Background High frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) is standard treatment for airway clearance in the USA and has recently been introduced in the UK and Europe. There is little published research comparing HFCWO with airway clearance techniques (ACTs) frequently used in the UK and Europe. The aim of this study was to compare the short-term effects of HFCWO with usual ACTs in patients with cystic fibrosis hospitalised with an infective pulmonary exacerbation. Methods A 4-day randomised crossover design was used. Patients received either HFCWO on days 1 and 3 and usual ACTs on days 2 and 4 or vice versa. Wet weight of sputum, spirometry and oxygen saturation were measured. Perceived efficacy, comfort, incidence of urinary leakage and preference were assessed. Data were analysed by mixed model analysis. Results 29 patients (72% male) of mean (SD) age 29.4 (8.4) years and mean (SD) forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) percentage predicted (FEV1%) 38 (16.7) completed the study. Significantly more sputum was expectorated during a single treatment session and over a 24 h period (mean difference 4.4 g and 6.9 g, respectively) with usual ACTs than with HFCWO (p<0.001). No statistically significant change in FEV1% or oxygen saturation was observed after either HFCWO or usual ACTs compared with baseline. 17 patients (55%) expressed a preference for their usual ACT. Conclusions During both a finite treatment period and over 24 h, less sputum was cleared using HFCWO than usual ACT. HFCWO does not appear to cause any adverse physiological effects and may influence adherence.

A feasibility study of home telemedicine for patients with cystic fibrosis awaiting transplantation

Summary Sixteen patients with cystic fibrosis were randomized to either telemedicine or standard care alone. All patients were terminally ill. Patients in the telemedicine group had an ISDN line installed in their home and were given a videoconferencing unit connected to their home television set. Eleven subjects completed the baseline assessment and seven patients completed the study (4 on telemedicine and 3 in the control arm). Telemedicine patients had weekly videoconferences from home for a clinical assessment, psychological support and the opportunity for discussion with any member of the multidisciplinary team. A total of 71 home videoconferences were conducted during the study. Anxiety levels were measured before and after the conferences. After six months there were no significant differences in quality of life, anxiety levels, depression levels, admissions to hospital or clinic attendances, general practitioner calls or intravenous antibiotic use between the two groups. However, there was a significant improvement in perception of body image for those in the telemedicine group and the patients liked and valued the service. The use of telemedicine can enhance the support that a specialist unit can provide for the patient and their family, and may reduce outpatient clinic attendances.

Characteristics of the Forced Expiration Technique

Summary The forced expiration technique (FET) has been misinterpreted in many parts of the world. Work was undertaken to clarify definitions and identify the characteristics of an effective and an ineffective technique. Senior clinicians experienced in respiratory care and representatives of the Centre for Physiotherapy Research came together and items characterising effective and ineffective FET were decided on by the clinicians. Their definitions were sent to a random sample of physiotherapists in Britain and to a few overseas. The opinions of these 150 physiotherapists were taken into account in providing the final definitions of the characteristics of effective and ineffective huffing and breathing control. It is hoped that these clear definitions will encourage good practice. It is suggested that this model could be used in other areas of physiotherapy practice where agreed definitions are so often lacking.

Physiotherapy for cystic fibrosis : which technique?

Summary Different physiotherapy techniques have developed for airway clearance, but are all these techniques effective and efficient?

Musculoskeletal techniques for clinically stable adults with cystic fibrosis: a preliminary randomised controlled trial

AIMS To assess the sensitivity of selected outcome measures to any change resulting from treatment of adults with cystic fibrosis with physiotherapy musculoskeletal techniques, use the data for sample size calculations for future studies and assess the acceptability of the methods to potential participants. DESIGN Preliminary, prospective, single-blind, randomised controlled trial. SETTING Specialist cystic fibrosis centre. PARTICIPANTS Adults recruited from a cystic fibrosis outpatient clinic. INTERVENTIONS The control group received normal optimal physiotherapy care and the intervention group received weekly musculoskeletal treatment for 6 weeks in addition to normal optimal physiotherapy care. OUTCOME MEASURES Recorded at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 weeks. The outcome measures were posture (thoracic index), chest wall excursion, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁), visual analogue scale for pain, modified shuttle test and Cystic Fibrosis Quality of Life Questionnaire--Section One (physical functioning). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Descriptive statistics [using medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs)] and linear regression mixed model. RESULTS From a total of 20 subjects, 10 were randomised to each group. Fifty percent of subjects were male, with a median age of 27 years (IQR 25 to 34), median FEV(1) of 1.75 l (IQR 1.4 to 2.4) and median body mass index of 20.8 (IQR 20.0 to 23.5). Baseline differences between groups in thoracic index and modified shuttle test made any differences difficult to interpret, but the results for thoracic index and chest wall excursion at the third rib in the treatment group showed a trend towards improvement. The usefulness of FEV₁, the visual analogue scale for pain and the Cystic Fibrosis Quality of Life Questionnaire as measures is unclear. CONCLUSION Further musculoskeletal studies in people with cystic fibrosis should consider using thoracic index and a measure of lung function in addition to FEV₁. The musculoskeletal techniques appear to be acceptable to people with cystic fibrosis, and do not seem to have associated adverse effects.

Evaluation of the Target Inhalation Mode (TIM) Breathing Maneuver in Simulated Nebulizer Therapy in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

BACKGROUND Adaptive Aerosol Delivery (AAD) systems provide efficient drug delivery and improved lung deposition over conventional nebulizers by combining real-time analyses of patient breathing patterns and precisely timed aerosol delivery. Delivery and deposition are further enhanced by breathing techniques involving slow, deep inhalations. METHODS This exploratory study assessed the acceptability of slow, deep inhalations in 20 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) during up to eight simulated nebulizer treatments with the I-neb AAD System. The breathing maneuver, Target Inhalation Mode (TIM) breathing, involved the lengthening of the patients inhalation time over successive breaths with guidance from auditory and tactile (vibratory) feedback from the device. RESULTS At the end of the first treatment, most patients felt that the instructions were easy to understand (90%) and that the vibratory feedback was pleasant (65%). Half of the patients found the procedure to be comfortable. At the end of the final treatment, most patients felt that the breathing maneuver was easy to understand (90%) and use (80%), but that the duration of the breath was too long (100%). Logged data revealed that 90% of patients were able to comply with the breathing maneuver. The two patients unable to comply had a forced vital capacity of <1.75 L. The average treatment time decreased from 288.4 to 141.6 sec during the first and final treatments, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This study provides preliminary evidence of the acceptability of the TIM breathing maneuver in patients with CF and their ability to perform repeated TIM breathing during simulated nebulizer therapy with the I-neb AAD System.

Does manual therapy provide additional benefit to breathing retraining in the management of dysfunctional breathing? A randomised controlled trial

Abstract Purpose: Dysfunctional breathing (DB) is associated with an abnormal breathing pattern, unexplained breathlessness and significant patient morbidity. Treatment involves breathing retraining through respiratory physiotherapy. Recently, manual therapy (MT) has also been used, but no evidence exists to validate its use. This study sought to investigate whether MT produces additional benefit when compared with breathing retraining alone in patients with DB. Methods: Sixty subjects with primary DB were randomised into either breathing retraining (standard treatment; n = 30) or breathing retraining plus MT (intervention; n = 30) group. Both the groups received standardised respiratory physiotherapy, which included: DB education, breathing retraining, home regimen, and audio disc. Intervention group subjects additionally received MT following further assessment. Data from 57 subjects were analysed. Results: At baseline, standard treatment group subjects were statistically younger (41.7 + 13.5 versus 50.8 + 13.0 years; p = 0.001) with higher Nijmegen scores (38.6 + 9.5 versus 31.5 + 6.9; p = 0.001). However, no significant difference was found between the groups for primary outcome Nijmegen score (95% CI (−1.1, 6.6) p = 0.162), or any secondary outcomes (Hospital Anxiety & Depression Score, spirometry or exercise tolerance). Conclusion: Breathing retraining is currently the mainstay of treatment for patients with DB. The results of this study suggest MT provides no additional benefit in this patient group. Implications for Rehabilitation Dysfunctional breathing (DB) is associated with significant patient morbidity but often goes unrecognised, leading to prolonged investigation and significant use of health care resources. Breathing retraining remains the primary management of this condition. However, physiotherapists are also using manual therapy (MT) as an adjunctive treatment for patients with DB. However, the results of this study suggest that MT provides no further benefit and cannot be recommended in the clinical management of this condition.