title: [Cystic fibrosis: instrumental airway clearance techniques].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chest physiotherapy is an essential part of the life-long therapeutic routine in patients with cystic fibrosis.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Various manoeuvres are available but there is no consensus supporting one specific technique over others. These techniques can be classified as "manual" or "instrumental". Instrumental airway clearance techniques are based on physiological principles and consist in the application of vibrations or positive expiratory pressure during expiratory phase to enhance sputum clearance. Positive expiratory pressure can be delivered continuously or in an oscillating pattern. The effects of these devices have been investigated in many studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest a potential place for these techniques in the management of cystic fibrosis, but they remain poorly used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A better knowledge of these approaches could enable them to integrate more widely into the physiotherapy management of patients with cystic fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Service de pneumologie, cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Woluwe, Belgium. gregory.reychler@uclouvain.be
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reychler
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Coppens
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palem
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lebecque
mesh_terms: D000403:Airway Resistance; D035641:Chest Wall Oscillation / Q000379:methods*; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000379:methods*; D012138:Respiratory Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D014732:Vibration