Elderly people who have difficulty in spitting can be given oral or nebulized expectorant drugs, and at the same time can be patted on the back to promote phlegm expectoration, and when combined with infection, active anti-infective treatment.
1. Expectorant drugs: such as oral aminobromine, acetylcysteine, eucalyptus-pinocampus enteric capsule. Nebulization can also be combined with budesonide + ipratropium bromide and acetylcysteine.
2. Patting on the back, making a hollow shape with both hands and repeatedly patting on the back to help the bronchial wall and the deeper phlegm in the lungs to be dislodged, so that it can be coughed up more easily.
3. Anti-infective treatment, if after lung X-ray, blood test, etc., it is clear that there is a co-infection, you need to use broad-spectrum antibiotics such as piperacillin tazobactam for anti-infective treatment.
In addition, for those who have great difficulty in coughing up sputum, bedside negative pressure sputum suction, tracheoscopic sputum suction can be considered. If the elderly have increased sputum, it is recommended that they seek medical attention promptly and follow the doctor’s instructions after examination.