Flutter

Question

Dear expert team,

I’d like to know the difference between a flutter by Pari® flutter and a Pari® O-PEP. I have been using the flutter, but lost it, and now I can only find the O-PEP on the web. Can I use that too and does it have the same effect as the flutter?

I am a 24-year-old CF patient.

Kind regards.

Answer

Dear questioner,

Your question is pretty easy to answer. “Pari® O-PEP” and “Pari® flutter” are two terms for one and the same thing. The official name is Pari® O-PEP.

“O” stands for oscillation, which means it is a PEP (PEP = positive expiratory pressure) with oscillation.

There is also the Pari® PEP system, which does not oscillate, i.e. it does not cause oscillation during expiration.

One difference between the “regular” flutter and the Pari® O-PEP lies in the changed mouthpiece: it is smaller and round. Its effect was not tested by the manufacturer with any new studies but relates to the corresponding studies with the VRP1/flutter.

You can be rather sure that the form of the mouthpiece does not affect its effectiveness. Essentially, the secretion is liquefied and the airways are widened by the positive expiratory pressure, which leads to an improved secretion transport.

Kind regards,
B. Dittmar
Physiotherapist

18.08.2014