Revista médica de Chile
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Revista médica de Chile · Feb 2014
Guideline[Therapeutic strategies to increase the effectiveness of cough].
Cough is a natural reflex that protects respiratory airways against infections or mucus retention. Cough maintains an adequate cleaning of the airways and is a mainstay of respiratory therapy. It can be triggered voluntarily by the patient or by a specific cough device. ⋯ Different therapeutic measures may help to increase cough efficiency among patients with cough weakness. These interventions may be performed using manual techniques or by mechanical devices. The aim of this review is to analyze the different techniques available for cough assistance, set a hierarchy of use and establish a scientific basis for their application in clinical practice.
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Revista médica de Chile · Feb 2014
[New spirometric reference equations for healthy Chilean adults].
To correctly interpret spirometric results, reference values should come from the same population. Current spirometric reference equations have been under scrutiny due to deficiencies to fit adequately for Chilean population, specially, for those aged over 65 years old. ⋯ The new spirometric references values derived from this study, fit better than currently used ones. Therefore, they should be used as new references values for Chilean adults.