
- #Flutter valve mucus removal device how to#
- #Flutter valve mucus removal device series#
Soak both parts in 70% isopropyl alcohol for 5 minutes.Ĭlean the four parts of the Acapella® with hydrogen peroxide. There are four parts to take apart.Ĭlean the four parts of the Acapella® daily with Liquid Dish Detergent – Rinse with water.Ĭlean the four parts of the Acapella® with alcohol.
#Flutter valve mucus removal device how to#
How to Clean and Care for the Acapella Choice®
If you use a short-acting inhaled bronchodilator, use the Acapella® 15 minutes after you inhale the medicine. Your healthcare provider will tell you how many times a day to use the Acapella®.Repeat steps 1 through 7 for 15 minutes (or as prescribed by your healthcare provider).Follow this by controlled diaphragmatic breathing and a deep cough if you feel mucus moving.
#Flutter valve mucus removal device series#
Use your stomach muscles to make a series of 3 rapid exhalations with the airway open, making a “ha, ha, ha” sound.
Huff coughing is a type of coughing if you have trouble clearing your mucus. Take a breath that is slightly deeper than normal. After these 10 to 12 breaths, perform 3 to 4 huffs and then a big cough to bring up mucus. Try to resist coughing during this phase. Repeat this maneuver for 10 to 12 breaths. Keep your cheeks as firm as possible when you exhale. Try not to inhale through the device. Exhale as much as possible (but not too forcefully) through the mouthpiece. Seal your lips tightly around the mouthpiece. Place the Acapella mouthpiece in your mouth. Take in a fairly deep breath and hold it for about 3 seconds. Your healthcare provider will show you postural drainage positions to use if these are recommended. Postural drainage positions include lying flat on your back, flat on your side and alternating sides. Sometimes we may have you lie in a postural drainage position to use the Acapella®. Sit up with good posture to use the Acapella®. Rotate the end toward – (minus)to decrease resistance. Rotate the end toward the + (plus) to increase resistance. This is the end opposite the mouthpiece. Your healthcare provider will set the dial when you get your Acapella®. Assure proper setting of the dial on the end of the Acapella®. The medication helps open the airways to make the technique more effective. The device may be used after taking a short-acting inhaled bronchodilator medication (as prescribed by your doctor). The Acapella Choice® airway clearance device is used to help remove mucus from the airways. If the mucus is allowed to collect in the airways, breathing may become difficult and infection may occur. Consult your doctor before making any changes to your treatment.People with some lung conditions, such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, mycobacterial disease and bronchiectasis often produce a large amount of mucus. This site is not intended as a substitute for treatment advice from a medical professional. Information contained on this site does not cover all possible uses, actions, precautions, side effects, or interactions. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of the linked websites, or information, products, or services contained therein. Reference to any specific product, process, or service does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. A typical session of PEP takes about 20 minutes to complete. After blowing through the device several times, the person huff coughs to clear the mucus from the lungs and out of the body.Īlthough your respiratory therapist may suggest a different way to use PEP based on your unique circumstances, typically, people perform 10 breaths before stopping to cough or huff cough mucus out of their airways.
The vibrations move mucus from the surface of your airways. Oscillating PEP devices also create vibrations when you breathe out. First, they use resistance to make it more difficult to breathe out, like non-oscillating PEP devices. Commonly known by their brand names (Flutter ®, Acapella ®, AerobikA ®, and RC-Cornet ®), these types of oscillating PEP devices work in two ways. Oscillating PEP is an airway clearance technique (ACT), where the person blows all the way out many times through a device. It also holds your airways open, keeping them from closing. This helps air get behind the mucus and helps move it from lung and airway walls. It takes about four times as long to breathe out against the resistance than it does to breathe in. You must breathe out harder against the resistance. PEP devices allow air to flow freely as you breathe in, but not when you breathe out. In positive expiratory pressure (PEP), a person breathes through a mask or a handheld mouthpiece. Jordan, an adult with CF, using a PEP device before huff coughing to clear mucus from her lungs.