domande e risposte

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

How to eliminate mucus?
Dear Sirs.

I am the father of a beautiful child called E.. He is totally paralyzed because of a delayed delivery.

Since one year E. suffers from epilepsy attacks about every month. He is now six-year-old and has some difficulties in breathing. Every morning I perform clapping: a typical percussion on the thorax (front/back) to eliminate mucus.

My question is: how can I remove the mucus which stacks and which does not go even with coughing? What can I do? Should I buy an aspirator or something like that? Would the use of humidifier be useful? Are there appropriate medicaments?

Thanks for your advice.

D.S.F. (July 10^th, 2002)

+++

In similar cases I had success with the nasal-pharyngeal cannula of Rusch. Rusch is the only firm that produces this kind of cannula which fits to children (from number 12 on). The cannula is very soft and can be inserted even by parents, of course after an appropriate training by the medical staff. The aim is to create a sort of way for the catheter for trachea-bronchis-aspiration - which is very difficult to perform in children without using an artificial airway. Of course the catheter must be of the size that fits properly to the size of the cannula.

A.P.

+++

1) Postural drainage

2) Humidifier in the room

3) Aerosol administration with fluidifying medicaments when mucus becomes thick (Fluimucil or similar)

4) Consult a Pneumologist to check the opening of the airways and to evaluate if aspiration with a catheter is appropriate.

A.T.

+++