Bronchiectasis

[lizzypoppins]

my husband has just been diagnosed with Bronchiectasis after a chest exray.  He is now on his third lot of tetracyclin as he is allergic it penicillin and on other medication that interfears with the antibiotic his doctor would have put him on.  he cannot get an appointment for physio yet, so can i do the same slapping on chest exercise that you do for cystic fibrosis, or am i better to leave him.  He is finding it very hard to breath, even though he is on bronchodialators and steroid inhalers.

[National Jewish Health]

You could do postural drainage and chest clapping as is done with cystic fibrosis (CF).  Since your husband has just been diagnosed with bronchiectasis it does not explain why "he is finding it very hard to breath and is on bronchodilator and steroid inhalers."  Bronchiectasis is generally a chronic condition that, only when unusually aggressive with difficult-to-clear secretions, would be accompanied by this degree of respiratory distress.

You definitely should discuss this with his lung specialist and, if he doesn't have one, arrange for him to be seen in consultation by a pulmonologist, without delay.

The pulmonologist can provide you with guidelines regarding physical therapy and should also seek an answer to the question of why has bronchiectasis developed in the lungs of a previously healthy man.  The answer could be CF but it could also be due to infection with a nontuberculous mycobacterium called Mycobacterium-avium-complex (MAC).

Finally, if he is having a great deal of difficulty raising secretions, he may be experiencing low blood oxygen levels and might benefit from supplementary oxygen, especially during the chest percussion and drainage.

The antibiotic decisions would best be made by the pulmonologist, perhaps in consultation with an infectious disease specialist.

Good luck but do get good help.

[Wack]

A related discussion, Brochiectasis was started.