COMPARISON OF HIGH-FREQUENCY CHEST COMPRESSION AND CONVENTIONAL CHESTPHYSIOTHERAPY IN HOSPITALIZED-PATIENTS WITH CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

Clearance of bronchial secretions is essential in the management of cy stic fibrosis (CF) patients admitted for acute pulmonary exacerbation. Conventional physiotherapy (CPT) is labor-intensive, time-consuming, expensive, and may not be available as frequently as desired during ho spitalization. High frequency chest compression (HFCC), which uses an inflatable vest linked to an air-pulse delivery system, may offer an a ttractive alternative. To study this, we prospectively studied 50 CF p atients admitted for acute pulmonary exacerbation who were randomly al located to receive either HFCC or CPT three times a day. On admission, clinical status and pulmonary function tests (PFT) in the HFCC group were not significantly different from those measured in the CPT group. Significant improvements in clinical status and PFT were observed aft er 7 and 14 d of treatment, and were similar in the two study groups, leading to patient discharge after similar periods of hospitalization. We conclude that HFCC and CPT are equally safe and effective when use d during acute pulmonary exacerbations in CF patients. We speculate th at HFCC may provide an adequate alternative in management of CF patien ts in a hospital setting.