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Chest physiotherapy is designed to use gravity to aid in draining secretion from various areas of the lungs. The patient lays in special ways to drain secretions from the smaller airways into their larger airways.
While the patient is lying down, rhythmic clapping (percussion) is applied with moderate to vigorous strength. The percussion is applied to the chest wall.
This helps loosen secretions from the respiratory tract, and forces the mucus from the smaller airways into the larger airways. The secretions can either be coughed up by the patient, or suctioned out.
Comfort During Chest Physiotherapy
Chest physiotherapy is done by laying the patient in various positions. These positions include: sitting up, lying on their back, lying on their side.
While in these positions, the respiratory therapist's hand is cupped. The hand repeatedly hits the chest wall. If the child is small, the respiratory therapist may use a mask instead of their hand. This treatment itself will not hurt the patient.
Some patients may be very sore because of surgery. When this happens, a machine that gently vibrates can be applied to the chest.
- The doctor taking care of the patient will order chest physiotherapy. The respiratory therapist will perform the treatment.
- Chest physiotherapy is done at the patient's bed, which is made to be positioned for this type of treatment.
- The treatment may be performed as often as every two hours. Most of the time, the treatment is done four times every day.
Chest physiotherapy is used for different reasons. When patients cannot bring up secretions, chest physiotherapy may be helpful.
Chest physiotherapy is also used for patients with pneumonia or patients with cystic fibrosis. Patients may have trouble taking deep breaths after surgery. When this happens, the lungs may not fully inflate. Chest physiotherapy has been helpful in treating this condition.
Chest physiotherapy should be not used on every patient. Patients with brittle bones or broken rib bones should not receive chest physiotherapy. This may cause the bone problem to become worse.
Chest physiotherapy should not be performed when a patient is unstable. This may lead to the patient condition becoming more serious.
Chest physiotherapy should not be used if the patient has increased pressure in their skull. If the patient is coughing up blood, has a lot of pain, has just eaten, or is vomiting, chest physiotherapy should be postponed until these conditions are no longer present.
Although chest physiotherapy has only been shown to work in patients with cystic fibrosis, it is felt to be useful in patients in the intensive care unit who are not very mobile after heart surgery or for other reasons when they are unable to keep all areas of the lung open.
Chest physiotherapy has been successful in some patients in preventing the need for more aggressive treatment (i.e., mechanical ventilation).
