Assisted Cough: A new technique

Summary The Lane Fox Respiratory Unit at St Thomas' Hospital is a national centre for care of patients with neuromuscular disorders. These patients frequently have severe problems with sputum clearance which can be long standing as a result of ineffective coughing due to respiratory muscle weakness. Over the past four years, we have trialed and implemented an adjunct to treatment, which aids the respiratory muscles in achieving an effective cough. This is the mechanical in-exsufflator (MI-E) (Emerson Co MA USA). The aim of this report is to outline the effects, the indications for use and the practicalities of MI-E. A brief case history encapsulating the clinical reasoning involved in MI-E and the role of MI-E as an adjunct to physiotherapy treatment will be discussed. Due to the lack of recent literature on this subject, research findings have been extrapolated from older studies. Future work is necessary to complement these earlier results.