How is sputum evacuation training performed?

  1.Definition A method to promote the expulsion of sputum from the patient’s lungs through postural drainage, chest percussion, tremor and cough training.  2.Indications and contraindications (1)Indications: those with poor pulmonary sputum expulsion.  (2) Contraindications: unstable clinical condition, respiratory failure, other clinical conditions that can lead to deterioration during training, severe cognitive deficits, etc.  3.Equipment and appliances No equipment is required.  4.Operating methods and steps (1)Postural drainage: Use gravity to promote the discharge of accumulated secretions in each lung segment. Different drainage positions are used according to the lesion site (the lesion site is as high as possible) to drain the sputum from the lesion site to the main bronchus. The frequency of drainage depends on the amount of secretions, and for those with little sputum, drainage is performed once a day in the morning and once in the afternoon; for those with a lot of sputum, drainage is appropriate 3 to 4 times a day, and it is appropriate to perform before meals, and each time a part is drained for 5 to 10 minutes, and if there are several parts, the total time does not exceed 30 to 45 minutes to avoid fatigue.  (2) Chest percussion and tremor: It helps to detach the sticky and thick sputum from the bronchial wall. The method is for the therapist to put the fingers together, palm into a cup, and use the wrist joint swing to tap on the chest wall of the drainage site in turn for 30 to 45 seconds, and the patient can breathe freely. After tapping, the therapist presses his hand on the lesion site and asks the patient to take a deep breath and make a trembling vibration of the chest wall during deep exhalation for 3 to 5 times, then tapping again, and so on for 2 to 3 times, and then asks the patient to cough to expel sputum.  (3) Cough training: The correct steps are: deep inspiration to achieve the necessary inspiratory capacity, briefly holding the breath to allow maximum distribution of gas in the lungs, closing the vocal hatch to further enhance the pressure in the airway, increasing intra-abdominal pressure to further increase intrathoracic pressure, and sudden opening of the vocal hatch to form a high-speed airflow rushing out from the lungs to induce secretions to move and be expelled with coughing.  5. Precautions Chest buckling and tremor treatment must be preceded by good coughing ability of the insured patient, or postural drainage after the percussion, so that the sputum will not enter deeper parts and be difficult to be discharged.