Intra Versus Extra-thoracic Oscillations in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the fourth-leading cause of death. It is a progressive illness that requires life-long treatment.Promoting airway clearance (AC) using mucolytics together with airway clearance techniques (ACTs) form the basis for pulmonary therapy in COPD care.Therefore, new airway clearance modalities are required to decrease the detrimental effects of accumulated secretions in COPD. One of the devices used in AC is the high frequency chest wall oscillation (The Vest). HFCWO involves the use of an inflatable vest/jacket that covers the chest and is attached to an air pulse-generating compressor which rapidly inflates and deflates the vest, producing oscillations to the chest wall of 5-25 Hz. Another new airway clearance modality is oscillating positive expiratory pressure(Quake) which combines PEP therapy with high frequency oscillations.