Abstract
[Purpose] The aim of this research was to compare the effects of manually assisted cough performed by physical therapists (PTs) and non-physical therapists (non-PTs). [Subjects] Seven PTs and seven non-PTs performed manually assisted cough on two healthy volunteers. [Methods] After providing instruction on manually assisted cough to PT’s and non-PTs, we measured the subjects’ Peak Cough Flow (PCF) and their comfort in assisted cough under the three conditions: unassisted, assisted with abdominal pressure, assisted with abdominal pressure plus manual chest compression. [Results] The PCF through abdominal pressure plus manual chest compression significantly exceeded unassisted cough or assisted cough only with abdominal pressure. The feeling during manual chest compressions by PTs was more comfortable than that performed by non-PTs. [Conclusion] We found that non-PTs could increase PCF with similar results to PTs. This indicates that effective assisted cough can be done by the patients’ families or caregivers when they receive proper instruction.
