The value of the forced expiration technique with and without postural drainage in adults with cystic fibrosis

Abstract

The effect of the Forced Expiration Technique (FET) with or without Postural Drainage (PD) was examined in eight adults with cystic fibrosis. On four mornings the patients followed a 30-min physiotherapy session consisting in a randomized order of either FET in a sitting position following a night of horizontal sleep ("FET"), or FET in a postural drainage position following sleep including postural drainage ("FET/PD"). The lung function parameters studied did not change during either of the two treatments. Sputum yield over 22.5 h before the physiotherapy sessions and over 24 h increased with PD during sleep in patients with more than 30 g of sputum per 24 h (p less than 0.05). PD during the treatment sessions did not further increase sputum production. This study indicates that sleeping head-down improves expectoration in patients with copious sputum. PD during FET is not needed after sleeping in the head-down position.