Long-Term Efficacy Of A Home-Based Airway Clearance Programme To Improve Cough Severity In Patients With Bronchiectasis:A Randomised Controlled Trial >

A new approach to deliver airway clearance programmes (ACP) is needed to facilitate widespread access Aim: To determine the efficacy of a 12-month home-based ACP on cough severity in people with bronchiectasis Methods: Participants randomly allocated to the experimental group (EG) received a 3-week home-based ACP, combining both self-administered airway clearance techniques (ACTs) and education, followed by monthly supervised sessions at home for 12 months. The procedure was identical for the control group, but they did not perform ACTs. Cough severity and quality of life were measured at baseline, at the end of intervention (3 Week) and at 12 months post-intervention. Exercise capacity was assessed at baseline and at the end of the study and exacerbations were recorded over 12 months Results: 20 participants were recruited (13 females, 60±12yrs; Bronchiectasis Severity Index score of 9.0± 5). Figure 1 shows the results for primary and secondary outcomes. There was a significant between-group difference in cough severity at 3 weeks, maintaining this benefit at 12 months (primary outcome). Exacerbations did not differ between groups (p=0.2) but the risk of hospitalization trend to be lower for the EG [0.66 (CI 95% 0.39-1.15)] Conclusion: A 3-week home-based ACP improved cough severity and the benefit was maintained at 1-year follow-up in people with bronchiectasis