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Airway clearance therapy is treatment that uses a number of airway clearance techniques to clear the respiratory airways of mucus and other secretions. [1] Several respiratory diseases cause the normal mucociliary clearance mechanism to become impaired resulting in a build-up of mucus which obstructs breathing, and also affects the cough reflex.
Treatment varies depending on the cause of respiratory arrest. In many cases, it is necessary to establish an alternate airway and providing artificial ventilation that can include modes of mechanical ventilation. There are many ways to provide an airway and to deliver breathing support. The list below includes several options.
Flaccid paralysis is a neurological condition characterized by weakness or paralysis and reduced muscle tone without other obvious cause (e.g., trauma). [1] This abnormal condition may be caused by disease or by trauma affecting the nerves associated with the involved muscles.
It is used with patients with neuromuscular disease and muscle weakness due to central nervous system injury. [4] Glossopharyngeal insufflation is a breathing technique that consists of gulping boluses of air into the lungs.
Pulmonary hygiene, also referred to as pulmonary toilet, [1] is a set of methods used to clear mucus and secretions from the airways.The word pulmonary refers to the lungs.The word toilet, related to the French toilette, refers to body care and hygiene; this root is used in words such as toiletry that also relate to cleansing.
Mechanical ventilation or assisted ventilation is the medical term for using a ventilator machine to fully or partially provide artificial ventilation.Mechanical ventilation helps move air into and out of the lungs, with the main goal of helping the delivery of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide.
Weakness (motor deficits) occurs in generalized fashion, rather than beginning in one region of the body and spreading. Limb and respiratory (diaphragm) muscles are especially affected. The muscles of the face are usually spared, but in rare cases, the eye muscles may be weakened, leading to ophthalmoplegia .
In neuromuscular diseases close attention should be paid to the involvement of both the inspiratory and the expiratory muscles. In patients with multiple sclerosis for example, abdominal (and hence expiratory) muscle weakness is a hallmark of the disease, and is related to clinical problems such as mucus retention.