Effectiveness of Autogenic Drainage in Improving Pulmonary Function in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis.

The use of autogenic drainage (AD) in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been officially approved; therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency of the leading therapeutic techniques based on AD in patients with CF; Among patients with CF assessments were made of spirometric parameters, percent blood oxygen saturation, and the general feeling of the patients (Borg, VAS, and mMRC dyspnea scale) before and after therapy using AD, using AD in connection with a belt or a Simeox device and AD in combination with both a belt and Simeox device simultaneously. The best therapeutic effects were generated by the combination of AD with the belt and with the Simeox device. The greatest improvements were observed for FEV1, FVC, PEF, FET, saturation, and patient comfort. In patients <10.5 years of age, the increase in the level of FEV3 and FEV6 was significant in comparison to older patients. Due to their efficacy, therapies connected with AD should be applied not only in hospital departments but also during daily patient care. Given the particular benefits observed in patients <10.5 years of age, it is important to guarantee real accessibility to this form of physiotherapy, especially in this age group.

Influence of Socio-Economic Status on Lung Function in Male Adolescents in Tanzania.

A lower socio-economic status (SES) associates with increased morbidity and mortality. The goal of this study was to define the influence of SES on lung function in indigenous male adolescents (aged 12.8-24.5 years) in Tanzania. The subjects were subdivided into two age groups: <17.5 (n = 189) and ≥ 17.5 years of age (n = 101). They underwent anthropometric and spirometry evaluation. The SES was assessed on the basis of economic family resources and the subjects' nutritional status, and was stratified into three categories: SES-1 (low), SES-2 (average), and SES-3 (high). Relative contributions of body mass index, chest expansion/mobility, waist-to-chest ratio, and SES to spirometry variables were statistically determined. We found significant differences in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) in the older, but not younger age group, by the SES category. The adolescents aged ≥17.5 in high-SES-3 category had FEV1 and FVC greater by 29.3% and 42.5%, respectively, than those in low-SES-1 category in the same age group. There also were differences between the two age groups. The mean FEV1 and FVC in adolescents of high-SES-3 category, aged ≥17.5, were higher by 65.3% and 82.2%, respectively, than those in the corresponding SES-3 in adolescents aged <17.5. In younger adolescents, lung function variables associated mostly with body build parameters, whereas in older adolescents with SES. The study revealed a significant dependence of lung function, and thus plausibly a greater resistance to diseases, on the socio-economic status. We conclude that the socio-economic status be taken into consideration in the assessment of lung function in epidemiological and public health programs, particularly in the context of the developing countries, to obtain the most reliable results.