Positional Drainage of the Lungs

A patient who is poorly hydrated and has thick, sticky mucus secretions will often need assistance clearing that mucus out of his airways. By positioning his body so that his chest is some-what higher than his windpipe and mouth, he can encourage the mucus to run "downhill" inside the bronchi to a place from which it can be "coughed up" and expectorated.

There is difficulty in maintaining a head-down position during an acute episode of asthma because that position pushes the abdominal contents up against the diaphragm and raises it. A raised diaphragm is comfortable for expelling trapped air, but it makes inhaling a little more difficult. So positional drainage is best used between acute episodes of asthma. With proper use of bronchodilating medicines, with attention to hydration, positional drainage should rarely be necessary.