Mechanical chest physiotherapy [editorial].

Despite some critical debate lately about the usefulness of physiotherapy in certain 
chest conditions, the fact remains that many patients voluntarily undertake regular 
postural bronchial drainage to help their sputum. A substantial number also 
find rapid chest percussion over affected lung segments useful in loosening 
the sputum. Chest percussion by a mechanical device controlled by the 
patient himself seems worthy to trial. Maxwell and Redmond have compared 
a commercial device with manual percussion during postural bronchial drainage. The 
two techniques resulted in expectoration of similar quantities of sputum, although 
all but one patient felt subjectively that the machine delivered better-quality 
percussion. Before parents and others are advised to buy percussing machines, 
we need a formal study of postural drainage with and without 
chest percussion. 