Cough assist

[Greeneyes]

Does anyone know if the cough assist is a different machine than the breathing machine my brother uses now? I know there is a suction machine that is used with the cough assist . And is there a portable breathing machine or suction for travel?
Thank you.

 

[MupstateNY]

My suction device seems to be quite portable. Also my bipap (Astral brand) is portable. Sorry, I don't have experience with the cough assist yet.

 

[Mary2]

The cough assist machine, the suction machine and the Bi-Pap machine are portable. I have lost track..does your brother have a Bi-Pap machine that he wears for hours at a time? Then a cough assist machine would be used for a few minutes at a time to help produce a stronger cough and thereby clear secretions.

 

[Greeneyes]

I recently went to visit my brother. He does use the bipap machine for short intervals. I noticed he clears his throat a lot to try and clear the phlegm. He can’t cough it up. I got some pineapple juice to help with the mucous and he said it has helped.

 

[Mary2]

Pineapple juice does help. A cough assist machine would help as well.

 

[oldgeek]

The cough assist is both a push and pull and has vibrations as an option to break up the mucus.. I used one before my trach and it was uncomfortable since my throat muscles are impacted and the pull cycle was a bit painful. After my trach last summer, that problem disappeared and I love the machine. I use the machine first thing in the morning to open the little sacs in the lungs and then follow it up with an hour of nebulized meds that includes lots of coughing and mucus clearing. Many days, I use it in the middle of the day; but I always use it before bed so I don't get "gurgley" when I lie down on the vent. It has a battery but it is larger and weighs more than my portable ventilator so for me it's not portable. Let me know if you have further questions.

 

[lgelb]

A relatively new brand of cough assist device is available (the BiWaze) that offers advantages over the CoughAssist. ALS is one of their targets.

In addition, the VOCSN combines BiPAP with suction, nebulizer and assisted cough, + an oxygen feed that most PALS shouldn't use.

Depending on your needs, either of these are worth looking at.