Acapella
Background[edit | edit source]
An ineffective cough or an impairment of normal mechanisms of mucociliary clearance limits oxygen transport from the lungs to body tissues. An array of techniques for assisting the mobilization of airway secretions is available for patients and caregivers to augment a patient’s mucus mobilization and expectoration. The caregiver must consider the pathophysiology and the clinical manifestations of the disease, the physiological basis of the method, availability of the technique to the patient, and the patient’s acceptance of the technique when prescribing an optimal method of airway clearance.
Introduction[edit | edit source]
The Acapella combines the principles of high-frequency oscillation and PEP by employing a counterweighted lever and magnet. Exhaled gas passes through a cone, which is intermittently occluded by a plug attached to the lever, producing air flow oscillations. A knob located at the distal end of the device adjusts the proximity of the magnet and counterweighted plug, thereby adjusting the frequency, amplitude, and mean pressure. The Acapella is available in 2 models: a green device for patients who can sustain at least 3 seconds of expiratory flow � 15 L/min, and a blue device for patients with expiratory flow 15 L/min.
The Acapella may offer advantages to some patients by virtue of its ability to generate OPEP at any angle (eg, with the patient supine) and at very low expiratory flows (eg, in children with severe obstructive lung disease). REFERENCES
Indications[edit | edit source]
- Mucus-producing respiratory conditions, including:
- Atelectasis
- Bronchitis
- Bronchiectasis
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Asthma
- Respiratory Muscle Weakness
- Mechanical Ventilation
- Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome
