Pep-S system

Question

Dear CF-Team,

I have been using the Pep-S system during inhalation for a short time now. Which of the different mouthpiece sizes (1.5 -5) can you recommend? How much pressure in mbar do you recommend?

Kind regards and thanks.

Answer

Hello,

the PEP-S system is the successor of the PEP 1 and 2 systems. There is no difference in usage.

You can use it in combination with inhalation, but also separately as an auxiliary device during breathing therapy.

The choice of stenosis should ideally be adjusted initially with the help of an experienced physiotherapist. [Translator's comment: information on German guidelines given in the original answer was omitted in the translation.] It is most important to know that the resistor's diameter is correct when the patient can hold an expiration pressure of 12-25 cm H20 for several seconds and the PEP breathing with the chosen expiration pressure can be held up effortlessly for two minutes.

Therefore, the whole should not be too small (1.5); possible signs of incorrect usage would be: swollen jugular veins, red head, strong use of breathing muscles, exhaustion. The whole should not be too big either, however, since after all the use of the PEP system is to keep the respiratory tracts wide through sufficient counter pressure. If the counter pressure is too small because the whole is too big (5.0), this can nevertheless lead to bronchial collapse; this means one gets tight, which is exactly what one is trying to avoid.

Kind regards
B. Dittmar

24.11.2009