Comparative Study of Flutter Device and Active Cycle of Breathing Technique in Airway Clearance in Subjects with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a disorder characterized by presence

of air flow obstruction that is generally progressive, may be accompanied by airway hyperactivity and

maybe partially reversible. COPD comprises major pathological changes. Conventional airway clearance

techniques form the main stay of the routine Pulmonary Rehabilitation of subjects with chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease. The procedure of Active Cycle of Breathing Technique causes an increase in lung volume

which allows air to flow via collateral channels and may assist in mobilizing the secretions which but

incorporating newer techniques that are effective, comfortable and can be independently performed by the

subject without assistance help motivate the subjects to participate actively in their own health care. A device

is proposed to have good efficacy, reliability and provides relief of the symptoms in a better way than the

manual therapy in a way by excluding the bias and thus can be used as an alternative to it, so proves efficient

to it. This study incorporates a device called ‘THE FLUTTER DEVICE’ which aids in mucus clearance in

subjects with COPD effectively. Materials and Methodology: The Study participants were thirty subjects

aged 35 to 45yrs with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. After two weeks of ACBT and Flutter therapy

with routine Physiotherapy each patient was told to record their VAS score for breathlessness on Visual

Analogue Scale for breathlessness, the patient’s peak expiratory flow rate was then checked with the peak

flow meter and FEV1 /FVC percentage was also obtained from the patient’s Pulmonary Function Test reports.

Results: Data was analyzed by statistical means, standard deviation and students t- test and the results

showed significant changes in terms of the VAS score for breathlessness, PEFR, FEV1 /FVC percentage of

PFT. Conclusion: It can be concluded that application of flutter therapy for airway clearance to patients

with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease decreased the breathlessness drastically and increased the peak

expiratory flow rate and FEV1 /FVC percentage than the application of ACBT.