EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance What is a 'cough assist machine'??

I have been asked if we can maintain a 'cough assist machine'.

Never seen one. Anyone out there able to spread some light on this - and what they are like to maintain. (Doesn't sound very nice!)

John,
Dare I say it assists people coughing?
If you cannot breath deeply, due to a chronic disease or post thorasic surgery, you do not clear the lungs of excess sputum and debris so risk developing a chest infesction. A couch assist is effectively a facemask pressure support device to assist with deep breathing.
If you can look after a ventilator you can certainly look after one of these.
Robert

Yes Robert, you dare say...

So a simple sort of CPAP device then. Yes we can look after that. Just never heard that terminology before.

Some useful info here John...

www.chestjournal.org/cgi/reprint/111/4/955

Thanks John,

We've had one for about a year. It does an interesting suck/blow spasm to achieve the desired effect. The physios like it, and it's given no trouble.

Hi John
We have the Emerson Cough Assist Mechanical In-Exsufflator (what a mouthful) in use at Portsmouth. It is mainly used by the physios and Respiratory dept.
With regard to maintenance (and quoting from the user manual), there are no serviceable parts inside the unit. It appears that the only maintenance required is checking of delivered pressure and timers (it should only be used intermittently and not continuously and therefore the treatment timer has to be set).
You can find out more at www.coughassist.com

The European agent is Emergo Europe based in Holland.

Very interesting Moira and Kawasaki, I look forward to actually seeing one.