Krankheitsverlauf bei schwerer COPD mit und ohne Physiotherapie mit dem RC-Cornet®

Drug therapy of COPD patients, especially in advanced stages, is an unsatisfying and thankless procedure. The therapeutic problem is due on the one hand to the fact that the obstruction itself is conditioned by reversible changes in the bronchial tree (contraction of the smooth musculature, increased mucus production, reduced mucociliary clearance, inactivation and reduction of surfactant). On the other hand, further factors contributing to the obstruction include a number of dysfunctions that do not respond to drug therapy (e.g. reduced elastic retractivity of pulmonary tissue, instability of the tracheobronchial system) [1, 2]. The last-mentioned disturbance results in a "mechanical" obstruction of the respiratory tract in forced expiration and coughing; in addition to this, the increase in functional residual capacity due to "trapped air" means increased respiratory work [3].