Can a PCD patient do too much airway clearance? The answer may surprise you. It is totally possible to do too much. The lungs are just like a muscle, and just like a muscle you can injure it by doing too much. You can also cause issues by doing airway clearance techniques improperly. So what does this all mean?
Let’s start with improper techniques. There is a reason that you shouldn’t run out an buy airway clearance devices just because they are available to buy. The patient should be evaluated by medical professionals to see if it’s safe and effective for them to do airway clearance and which devices or techniques that the patient should use. This is because not all devices and techniques are the same for every person. Some people will be unable to use certain techniques for airway clearance because of their unique anatomy, their unique over all health picture, and all their other medical issues/comorbidities. These coexisting issues can make certain techniques unsafe for the patient, and only a licensed medical physician can make that determination. So just because a certain airway device is all the rage in social peer groups, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s safe for you or your PCD loved one to use. You could actually injure the body’s fragile lungs using a device wrong. There is so much misinformation out there even from the manufacturers that it’s hard to determine which is the best advice. You need the advice of a medical professional who is up to date on their medical journals, so that you get the right advice. Remember manufacturers rarely update their recommendations or instructions due to FDA rules to get the devices through the regulation process. Also not all airway clearance devices are regulated, which means can you truly trust the sales information for the device. For proper trainings and demonstrations of airway clearance techniques and devices ask your PCD respiratory therapist today.
Not only is using the devices and techniques wrong an issue in airway clearance, but doing too much can be a major issue as well. You should have an airway clearance plan with your team, if you don’t have one ask for one. You want to know the plan ahead of time, and you want to understand the plan. The lungs can be overworked just like any other part of the body. If you are doing too much you could be tiring out your lungs and yourself, thereby slowing down or hindering the mobilization of secretions. Mobilizing secretions is the whole point of airway clearance. If you or your lungs are tired and overworked then you may not be getting the full benefits of airway clearance. That’s why it’s important to stick to your plan. Using airway clearance techniques, and the medications that go along with it, too close together can tire out your airways. In fact too much bronchodilators, too close together can over-relax the airways and actually inhibit getting the mucus out of the lungs and cause many other issues; like gas trapping and atelectasis just to name a few. It’s very counterproductive to overdo your airway clearance and it’s most likely going to make you miserable. Talk to your PCD team today about your airway clearance plan.
Be sure to join us next week for another Topic Thursday.
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