Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of our method of assisting a cough by
mimicking the functions of the glottis in patients with bulbar muscle weakness or
paralysis and/or those who had a tracheostomy tube.
DESIGN: Before-after trial.
SETTING: University rehabilitation hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=35) with
bulbar muscle weakness or paralysis and/or those who had a tracheostomy tube.
INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The unassisted peak cough
flow (PCF), the assisted PCF, and the assisted PCF with the external control
method mimicking glottis function by an end-inspiratory external closure of the
airways. RESULTS: Of the 35 patients, 13 were tracheostomized cervical cord
injury patients, 11 were neuromuscular disease (NMD) patients with glottis
dysfunction only, and 11 were NMD patients with a tracheostomy and glottis
dysfunction. Assisted PCF with the external control method were higher than
unassisted PCF and/or assisted PCF in all patients. Assisted PCF with the
external control methods were measured in all of the patients even when the
unassisted PCFs and/or assisted PCFs could not be measured. For patients with
measurable assisted PCFs, the assisted PCF with the external control methods were
significantly higher than the assisted PCFs.
CONCLUSIONS: We showed the
effectiveness of our method of assisting a cough by external control of the
glottis in patients with bulbar muscle weakness or paralysis and/or those who had
a tracheostomy tube who cannot effectively cough with the help of existing cough
assistance methods.

Langue : ANGLAIS