Physiotherapy and bronchial mucus transport

Cough and expectoration of mucus are the best-known symptoms in patients wi th pulmonary disease, The most applied intervention for these symptoms is t he use of chest physiotherapy to increase bronchial mucus transport and red uce retention of mucus in the airways, Chest physiotherapy interventions ca n be evaluated using different outcome variables, such as bronchial mucus t ransport measurement, measurement of the amount of expectorated mucus, pulm onary function, medication use, frequency of exacerbation and quality of li fe. Measurement of the transport rate of mucus in the airways using a radioacti ve tracer appears to be an appropriate outcome variable for short-term stud ies. Evaluation of chest physiotherapy only with pulmonary function tests a ppears to be inadequate in short-term studies. The popularity of using pulm onary function tests is probably based more on the availability of the inst ruments than on a theoretical basis related to the question of chest physio therapy improving mucus transport. Quality of life and progression of the d isease are not often used as outcome variables, but it may be worthwhile to use these in the future.