Recent Advances in Physiotherapy
Chapter One
Physiotherapy and the Adult with
Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis
JENNIFER A. PRYOR
INTRODUCTION
Bronchiectasis is defined as 'abnormal chronic dilatation of one or more bronchi'
(Wilson 2003 BLDBLD). The face of bronchiectasis is changing (Greenstone 2002 BLDBLD). It
used to be characterised by large volumes of purulent sputum, but today may also
be characterised by a persistent and irritating non-productive cough. With the increasing
use of antibiotics in the treatment of pulmonary infections in childhood,
many patients with bronchiectasis have an underlying disease that predisposes them
to chronic or recurrent infection, for example cystic fibrosis, immunodeficiency including
HIV, primary ciliary dyskinesia, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and
Mycobacterium avium complex (Rosen 2006 BLDBLD). Diagnosis was by plain chest radiograph,
with the extent of the disease assessed by bronchography (injection of contrast
into the bronchial airway), but this was an invasive and unpleasant procedure. Today
high-resolution computed tomography (thi ... read full excerpt from Recent Advances in Physiotherapy ebook
