The target range for mean intrapulmonary pressure during OPEP therapy is 10–20 cm H 2O, with oscillations of at least 1 cm H 2O from the mean. OPEP therapy is achieved by blowing against a fixed or variable small-exit orifice which increases intrapulmonary pressure by limiting flow, introducing short increases in expiratory flow that act to mobilise secretions cephalad. OPEP was designed to promote airway clearance by reducing the viscoelastic properties of the mucus, while splinting open collapsed airways and increasing intrathoracic pressure distal to mucus plugging through collateral ventilation via the canals of Lambert and pores of Kohn. Oscillating positive expiratory pressure (OPEP) devices are handheld, non-pharmacological adjuncts to chest physiotherapy. Airway clearance and physiotherapy have been mainstays in treating hypersecretion since the 1950s, with the first description in the literature purporting the benefits published in 1901. Exacerbations are associated with lower quality of life, more rapid decline in lung function, and higher all-cause mortality. Severe cases can require hospitalisation. Patients are prone to exacerbations characterised by periods of acute worsening of symptoms such as dyspnoea, cough, airway inflammation, and excess sputum production (hypersecretion). COPD is the fourth largest cause of death. This response is caused by prolonged exposure to noxious particles or gasses, most commonly cigarette smoke, occupational dusts (from stone cutting, mining, metal grinding etc.) or other environmental dusts (e.g., woodworking). Data on user experience of the device were also collected during post-study follow-up.Ĭhronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by non-reversible airflow limitation due to an abnormal inflammatory response in the lungs. The aim of the current study was to initially evaluate the safety of the prototype in patients with COPD over a period of 1 month to ensure no adverse events, negative impacts on lung function, exercise tolerance, or quality of life. The device was previously evaluated successfully in a group of paediatric CF patients. Adherence to cleaning regimens for respiratory devices is often poor and in response to this, a prototype disposable OPEP device-the ‘UL-OPEP’ (University of Limerick-Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure device)-was developed to mitigate the risk of contamination by pathogens. Current devices are reusable and require regular cleaning and disinfection to prevent harbouring potentially pathogenic organisms. Handheld oscillating positive expiratory pressure (OPEP) devices have been a mainstay of treatment for patients with hypersecretory conditions such as cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) since the 1970s. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material.
Open AccessThis article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made.
0 kommentar(er)
