Airway Clearance Devices – Benefits and Uses

Airway Clearance Devices - Benefits and Uses

Airway Clearance Devices: Understanding Their Benefits and Uses

Living with bronchiectasis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can significantly impact daily life. Chronic lung conditions often involve excess mucus buildup in the lungs, which can lead to difficulty breathing, frequent infections, and reduced lung function. These symptoms can compound, leading to a cycle that can be hard to break.
Request a patient packetThough your clinician may prescribe different treatments (e.g., antibiotics or mucus-thinning medications 1) to help you manage symptoms, mucus clearance devices can help treat their underlying cause, primarily excess mucus buildup.

In this article, we’ll explore:

If you’re looking for a device to remove mucus from lungs, we’ll talk through a few options and how they’re different.

What is Airway Clearance?

When mucus builds up in the lungs, breathing becomes more difficult. Excess mucus can also leave your lungs more prone to infection 2 or cause you to experience a worsening of symptoms, also known as a flare up. When performed regularly, airway clearance helps loosen mucus in the lungs so it can be broken up and more easily coughed out—thereby reducing the risk of respiratory infection 3.
Mucus clearing devices are medical tools designed to do just that: help clear mucus from the lungs. Vibration, oscillation, or pressure can loosen mucus, making it easier to expel through coughing.

Each person will experience bronchiectasis symptoms differently. Work with your doctor to find an airway clearance solution that helps relieve your symptoms and reduce complications.

Airway Clearance Devices vs. Techniques

Airway clearance can be performed in several ways, including techniques and devices. Let’s look at four of these approaches:

  • Breathing techniques
  • Manual Chest Physiotherapy, manually performed with the help of a caregiver.
  • OPEP devices
  • Respiratory vest, otherwise known as High-Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation

Let’s look at these individually.

Breathing Techniques

Breathing techniques, including pursed-lip and abdominal breathing, can help loosen and mobilize mucus.
One common breathing technique is the “huff cough“, a repeated cycle of inhaling air through your nose and then exhaling it back out through your mouth—simultaneously pulling your abdomen inward and making a “huff” sound 4.

Manual Chest Physiotherapy

Manual Chest Physiotherapy, or CPT, is a traditional airway clearance technique. With this method, a therapist or caregiver manually claps on your chest wall in various positions 5. The repeated clapping helps to loosen mucus and move it toward the larger airways. This technique is typically performed multiple times daily, using various positions to help drain mucus 6.

Learn more about Manual CPT.

While this technique may be beneficial, relying on someone else to perform manual CPT every day can be time-consuming and exhausting.

OPEP Devices

Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure (OPEP), a hand-held device, creates resistance and vibrations that help loosen and clear mucus from the airways. 7 After a series of breaths through an OPEP device, patients will “huff cough” to clear mucus from their lungs.

High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO)

vibrating vestHFCWO therapy is an airway clearance device similar to CPT. One of the most significant differences is that it can be performed independently.

The SmartVest Airway Clearance System offers HFCWO therapy that can be worn just like a vest. This vest is connected to a generator and, once activated, gently squeezes and releases your upper chest wall with 360° chest coverage. The vibrating pulses are consistent in frequency and delivery, which helps loosen and propel mucus upward, where it can be coughed out more easily.
Sessions for this usually last for about 20-30 minutes and can be performed twice a day, depending on what your clinician recommends.

The Benefits of Airway Clearance Devices

These devices help reduce airway obstruction, allowing for better airflow and improved oxygen intake. Plus, excess mucus creates an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive; clearing mucus regularly can lower the risk of infections and associated hospitalizations. 8

benefits of smartvest

Take the Next Step Toward Better Breathing

If you or a loved one struggles with chronic respiratory issues, airway clearance devices can provide a lifeline to better health and comfort.
SmartVest is clinically proven to clear the lungs of excess mucus, which can reduce the risk of respiratory infections and hospitalizations 9. Moreover, SmartVest releases, on average, 91% of its air between compressions 10, meaning patients have more breathing room and less restriction during therapy.

Learn more about how SmartVest delivers a comfortable, at-home treatment option. You can even request a patient packet for your next doctor appointment.
Want to talk to your doctor about SmartVest? You can request an informational packet for your next doctor’s appointment. If you’d rather chat with one of our Patient Care Advocates, you can schedule a time or call 1.855.528.5690


Resources

[1] American Lung Association. “Treating and Managing bronchiectasis.” Retrieved from https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/bronchiectasis/treating-and-managing
[2] American Lung Association “Understanding Mucus in Your Lungs” Retrieved from https://www.lung.org/blog/lungs-mucus
[3] Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “Airway Clearance.” Retrieved from https://www.cff.org/managing-cf/airway-clearance
[4] Treating bronchiectasis (2017). American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 196, 19-20. Retrieved from https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/bronchiectasis-treatment.pdf
[5] Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “Chest Physical Therapy.” Retrieved from https://www.cff.org/managing-cf/chest-physical-therapy
[6] Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “Chest Physical Therapy.” Retrieved from https://www.cff.org/managing-cf/chest-physical-therapy
[7] National Library of Medicine. “Oscillatory positive expiratory pressure treatment in lower respiratory tract infection. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6125886/
[8] Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “Airway Clearance” Retrieved from https://www.cff.org/managing-cf/airway-clearance
[9] Sievert CE, et al. 2016. Using High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation in a Bronchiectasis Patient Population: An Outcomes-Based Case Review. Respiratory Therapy, 11(4), 34–38.
[10] Pokorney J. Comparison of Oscillatory Trough Pressure Generated by High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) Systems: A White Paper