What Is Postural Drainage?

Good health and no disease.

Orthostatic drainage refers to gravity drainage of secretions and should be used in conjunction with some chest techniques. Such as pat back, tremor, etc., can obtain significant clinical results. Therapist can refer to the method of X-ray chest film to track lung endocrine secretion, and monitor the effect of lung endocrine clearance through blood gas analysis, and provide objective data of oxygenation.
It mainly promotes the discharge of pus and sputum, so that the diseased lung is at a high position, and the opening of the drainage bronchus is downward, which promotes the sputum to drain through the trachea by gravity, which helps the sputum drainage.

Name: Postural drainage

category: Special inspection

Normal postural drainage

Good health and no disease.

Clinical significance of postural drainage

Abnormal results: Massive atelectasis caused by secretions or cell retention, accumulation of secretions caused by structural abnormalities, which cannot be ruled out for a long time (such as bronchiectasis, cystic pulmonary fibrosis or lung abscess); due to restricted expiratory breath (Eg COPD, pulmonary fibrosis) in patients with inability to excrete secretions; or cough weakness (eg elderly or cachexia patients, neuromuscular disease, postoperative or traumatic pain, or tracheotomy).
People to be checked: those with symptoms such as atelectasis, bronchiectasis, cystic pulmonary fibrosis, lung abscess, pulmonary fibrosis, and cough weakness.

Postural drainage considerations

Unsuitable people:
(1) Aged and generally extremely weak, unable to tolerate the required position, inability to exclude secretions (in this case, position drainage will cause hypoxemia)
(2) Anticoagulant therapy
(3) Fracture of the thorax or spine, recent major hemoptysis, and severe osteoporosis. Those who have the above symptoms.
Contraindications before inspection:
(1) Drainage should be performed before meals, usually morning and evening, because vomiting is likely to occur after meals.
(2) Persuade the patient to cooperate with the drainage treatment, and encourage the patient to properly cough during the drainage.
(3) Pay attention to the patient during the drainage process for hemoptysis, cyanosis, dizziness, sweating, fatigue, etc. If the above symptoms occur, stop the drainage at any time.
(4) The drainage level should not be performed rigidly. It must be in a position that is acceptable to the patient and easy to sputum.
Examination requirements: actively cooperate with the doctor

Postural drainage check process

Operation method and steps
(1) Adopt different postures for body drainage according to the lesion. If the lesion is in the lower lobe, tongue, or middle lobe, take the head and lower the foot slightly to the healthy side; if the upper lobe, take a sitting position or other appropriate posture to facilitate drainage.
(2) During drainage, watch the patient cough vigorously after taking deep breaths intermittently, and the nurses pat the patient's chest or back with their hands (the palms flexed in a concave shape), proceeding from the lower part of the back until the sputum is drained, or use a mechanical shaker The accumulated secretion is loosened and moved, which is easy to cough or drain. 3-4 times a day, 15-30 minutes each time.

Orthopedic drainage related diseases

Lung abscess in the elderly, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in children, pulmonary abscess in children, lung abscess, acute lung abscess, acute sinusitis, chronic sinusitis