PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Mariangela Retucci
AU  - Silvia Maria Giannone
AU  - Bruno Iovene
AU  - Emanuele Giovanni Conte
AU  - Roberta Marra
AU  - Riccardo Inchingolo
AU  - Marco Scapigliati
AU  - Mariapia Torrice
AU  - Salvatore Valente
AU  - Andrea Smargiassi
TI  - The role of temporary positive expiratory pressure (T-PEP) as respiratory physiotherapy technique for patient affected by non cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P3678
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P3678.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P3678.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - Background: Respiratory physiotherapy in patients affected by non-CF bronchiectasis has the aim of cleaning airways, aiding expectoration, improving ventilation efficacy and exercise tolerance and reducing dyspnoea. Aim of this study was to evaluate the role of T-PEP devices in addition to conventional physiotherapeutic techniques (CPT) in the management of bronchiectasis.Methods: Patients affected by bronchiectasis underwent respiratory function tests (RFT), arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis, six minute walking test (6MWT) before and after a physiotherapy cycle (PC). Each PC consisted in being treated for 15 days with 20 minute twice-a-day T-PEP application in patients already undergoing CPT (active cycle of breathing, postural drainage and manual techniques). SGRQ, MMRC dyspnoea scale and EuroQoL-VAS (EQ) were applied to assess health-related quality of life (QoL) before and after PC. Paired T-test was used for statistical analysis.Results: 15 patients were enrolled (8 males, 66±14 years old, BMI: 25.6±3.6 Kg/m2). After PC, distance walked in 6MWT significantly increases (99±23 vs 106±22 m, p<0.05). Similarly, ΔSpO2 during 6MWT waned (p=0.01). SGRQ (39±22 vs 31±20) and EQ (51±17 vs 67±17) significantly showed improvement of QoL (p<0.001). MMRC score significantly decreases (p=0.04). No significance differences were reported for ABG and RFT parameters.Conclusions: The use of T-PEP as respiratory physiotherapy technique can be a useful tool for patients affected by bronchiectasis improving QoL scores and distance walked at 6MWT and reducing ΔSpO2 during 6MWT and dyspnoea.