Nebulizer and Cough Assist

Status
Not open for further replies.

tripete

Very helpful member
Joined
Dec 5, 2014
Messages
1,002
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
12/2014
Country
US
State
PA
City
Lancaster
At my last clinic a week ago they ordered a Nebulizer and Cough Assist machine for me. When and how often do you use it for best results?
 
I use the cough assist machine when I think I'm going to die (hate that thing). The nebulizer to ward off early repertory virus. Hopefully you won't need either.
 
My husband is on a ventilator 24/7 so our use may be different. The objective of the neb is to open up the airway to more easily remove secretions. We do one neb treatment a day with out fail in the morning and more if we are having difficulty getting secretions out. The objective of the cough assist machine is to "vacuum" secretions out of the lungs when one's respiritory muscles are too weak to produce a strong enough cough to do so. We use it 4-5 times per day (everyone is different) , we do 3 breath cycles (per set), wait a minute, do another set, until nothing else comes out. We have learned from 3 years of experience that the keys to my husbands respiritory health are: the cough assist, humidification on the vent, and 1.8 liters of fluid per day(we measure daily) to keep the secretions thin. Depending on how much secretions are there when you first start, don't be surprised if you have some breathing difficulty the first time as it could pull up a lot of old stuff. We had that happen the first time and were afraid to use it again for awhile which was a mistake.
 
Hey Pete, I am on trilogy all night and then whenever I feel the need to get my air ways cleared out I use the nebulizer ,I have cough assitence machine but have not used it yet nor the vest which vibe rates the crap up. I try to stay clear of people who cough/ sneeze/ sick . Good luck. Chally
 
I do not have any sickness that I know of (other than ALS) they just felt with my numbers being so low and the every day congestion that I needed to get things out.

So yesterday my wife went to pick up the RX for the nebulizer machine and they could not bill it because the Dr office did not put the diagnosis code on it. I don't understand why the Pharmacist who had the order for week would not call the Dr or why the Dr would not know that with meidicade you need to put the diagnosis code on it. Why in the world are even the little things so difficult?

Does anyone use a saline solution in their nebulizer?
 
I used the cough assist machine every morning. Absolutely hated it when we first started, but now it makes me breathe much easier and my voice is much stronger after using it. It took quite a bit of experimentation to figure out the best procedure or me. Now I look forward to how I will feel after
 
Hi ,
My dad is diagnosed with ALS , and he has a nebulizer .. but he has trouble sleeping at night with excessive saliva and cough. He is in Bipap. What is a cough assist machine. Can anyone tell me where I can buy that? Or suggest anything thing that would help him. He is in Nepal and they don't get most of the equipments and medicine there. Since I am in US studying, I am trying to see if I can buy it for him.
Thanking you in advance for all your help.
Thanks
Shah37
 
Hi, Shah, the machine we are talking about is Philips Respironics CoughAssist. I am not sure which medical equipment distributors cover Nepal but I know some are based in India. If you are able to arrange shipping yourself, you might look on sites like dotmed for used units; if necessary, the unit could be shipped to you and you could ship it to Nepal. If you contact Philips directly via its Web site, perhaps they can refer you to a distributor.

If your dad does not have a suction machine, much less expensive, that might be another helpful aid for him and you could procure a new one.

BiPAP settings require adjustment to be most effective so I would also make sure he has someone who can adjust his settings; post further in a new thread if you need help in that regard.

Best,
Laurie
 
Hi Pete
A cough assist machine is a device that does exactly what its name implies. It is particularly valuable in the management of an ineffective cough in a PALS having difficulty coughing up airway secretions. If unattended, pulmonary secretions can accumulate in the respiratory tract and lead to a serious problem should such secretions block airways, induce atelectasis (collapse of airways), or cause respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia.
Cough assist should be used when one’s chest fills with secretions and you having difficulty in coughing them up. This often occurs in association with a respiratory infection such as a cold, or perhaps following aspiration. Daily use a few times a day (2 - 4) will benefit the person who is frequently suffering from chest secretions. In addition, regularly maximally inflating lungs can temporarily increase one's lung capacity and help prevent atelectasis. This may slow down the stiffening of one's lungs (loss of pulmonary compliance), which in turn may slow down the deterioration of one’s lung function due to atelectasis.
A nebulizer, can enhance coughing up secretions when administered 20 to 30 minutes prior to the use of a cough assist machine when secretions or difficult to expel. When wheezing is heard or one’s chest is tight.
You might want to review these recommendations with the prescribing physician since individual needs vary.
Check out the following websites:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHdqcRYIkmU

Best wishes, Eliot
 
Hi Laurie,

Thank you so much for the information. I will call and check about the Philips cough assist machine. My dad has philips bi pap machine and we do have philips medical instruments available in Nepal. This is very helpful and I would like to thank you for that.
He has a suction machine, he uses it but I am hopeful that cough assist would make him comfortable and be at ease.
We have a part time nurse appointed for to care for my dad. My mom and nurse take turns at nights. I would be interested to know more on the settings of the Bipap, just to be informed. So that if possible I can help mom when needed.
Thanks again for your help.
God bless
Shah37
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top