Autogenic drainage. A guide for patients. Information for patients Therapy Services - Surgical

Transcription

1 Autogenic drainage A guide for patients Information for patients Therapy Services - Surgical

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3 What is autogenic drainage Autogenic drainage (AD) is a method to clear sputum from your lungs without making you too wheezy or tired. Sputum is loosened from deep within the lungs, then collected in your airways and finally cleared by either a cough or huff. The method can be difficult to learn at first and may need to be fine-tuned by your physiotherapist. Once mastered, AD can be a very effective method of clearing your sputum. The method involves: Clearing your nose and throat Sitting upright or laying on your back (or as your physio suggests) Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth Relaxing your shoulders and breathing slowly so that your tummy swells as you breathe in and empties as you breathe out. This saves energy and loosens the sputum at the very bottom parts of your lungs. Not coughing too early so that as much sputum as possible is collected without causing tiredness and wheezing. There are three stages to the method which are explained in more detail on the following pages: 1. To loosen the sputum from deep within your lungs 2. To collect the sputum in your airways 3. To clear the sputum page 3 of 8

4 1. To loosen the sputum from deep within your lungs: a. Slowly take a normal sized breath in through your nose. Hold for 3 seconds. b. Breathe gently out all the way, through your mouth, so that air is squeezed out of your lungs. Keep your mouth wide open as you breathe out. Do not breathe out too hard as this can stimulate coughing and wheezing. c.then breathe in slowly, but try not to take too large a breath. Hold for 3 seconds and breathe out as before. d. Continue breathing in this way until you hear or feel the ruttle of secretions in the airways. page 4 of 8

5 2. To collect the sputum in your airways: a. Take normal sized breaths and hold as above, but breaths out can be shorter and a little more forceful. b. Take a normal size breath in through your nose. Hold for three seconds. c. Breathe out through your mouth, slightly more forcefully, but not all the way page 5 of 8

6 3. To clear the sputum: a. Take deeper breaths in through your nose and hold as before. b. Breathe out more forcefully than before until the sputum is in your throat. c. Take a deep breath in through your nose. Hold for three seconds. d. Breathe out forcefully, through your mouth. page 6 of 8

7 Please contact your physiotherapist for any further guidance. page 7 of 8

8 Produced with support from Sheffield Hospitals Charity Working together we can help local patients feel even better To donate visit Registered Charity No Alternative formats can be available on request. Please Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2017 Re-use of all or any part of this document is governed by copyright and the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005 SI 2005 No Information on re-use can be obtained from the Information Governance Department, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. PD3179-PIL1018 v4 Issue Date: November Review Date: November 2019