| Lung volume recruitment: How it helps your child to take a deep breath | 2454.00000000000 | Lung volume recruitment: How it helps your child to take a deep breath | Lung volume recruitment: How it helps your child to take a deep breath | L | English | Respiratory | Child (0-12 years);Teen (13-18 years) | Lungs | Lungs | Non-drug treatment | Caregivers
Adult (19+) | NA | | 2016-07-20T04:00:00Z | | Reshma Amin, MD, FRCPC, MSc | | | | 6.80000000000000 | 73.4000000000000 | 544.000000000000 | | Health (A-Z) - Procedure | Health A-Z | <p>Discover how to perform lung volume recruitment with your child to help them take deep breaths.</p> | <p>A healthy child can usually take in a deep breath to fill their <a>lungs</a> to their maximum volume. It is important to be able to take a deep breath to give the lungs a chance to clear mucus when breathing out.</p>
<h2>What is lung volume recruitment?</h2>
<p>Lung volume recruitment (LVR) is a way of filling the lungs using a source of air and a mouthpiece, facemask or tracheostomy adaptor. Air is pushed in from the air source while a child takes in a breath. This helps inflate the lung and stretch the muscles of the chest wall.</p>
<p>A child with weak chest muscles might find it difficult to breathe in deeply. Over time, under-filling the lungs can lead to:</p>
<ul>
<li>tightening of the chest wall muscles</li>
<li>stiffening of the lungs</li>
<li>areas of lung collapse called atelectasis</li>
</ul>
<p>Using LVR can slow down these effects and help prevent lung infections such as <a href="/Article?contentid=784&language=English">pneumonia</a>.</p> | <h2>Who may benefit from LVR?</h2>
<p>A child may benefit from LVR to help clear mucus if they have:</p>
<ul>
<li>a disease causing weak muscles, such as:</li>
<ul>
<li>spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)</li>
<li><a href="/Article?contentid=943&language=English">muscular dystrophy</a></li>
</ul>
<li>a spinal cord injury</li>
<li>a tracheostomy, ventilator or other supports to help them breathe</li>
</ul> | <h2>Key points </h2>
<ul>
<li> Lung volume recruitment (LVR) helps inflate the lungs to their largest volume and stretches the chest muscles.</li>
<li>LVR prevents chest wall muscle tightening and stiffening of the lungs and can help prevent lung infections.</li>
<li>If your health care provider thinks that your child may benefit from LVR, a respiratory therapist will train you in what to do and discuss suitable equipment for your child’s needs.</li>
<li>Always follow your healthcare provider’s instructions. Stop LVR immediately if your child develops chest pain, chest tightness or shortness of breath.</li>
</ul> | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <h2>How do I perform LVR?</h2>
<ol>
<li>Your child will wear or use a facemask, mouthpiece or a tracheostomy adaptor.</li>
<li>While your child takes in a breath, you will squeeze a manual resuscitation bag that is attached to your child’s device and push extra air into your child’s lungs.</li>
<li>You will repeat this several times without the child breathing out. This is sometimes called “breath stacking” and helps to inflate the lungs fully and stretch the chest wall muscles.</li>
<li>After several breaths are “stacked”, your child will breathe out. The air will leave the lungs quickly, taking any mucus with it.</li>
</ol>
<p>If your doctor decides that LVR is right for your child, a respiratory therapist (RT) will meet with you to teach you how to do it and review the equipment that best meets your child’s needs.</p>
<h2>How much does LVR equipment cost?</h2>
<p>Speak to your doctor about the costs of LVR equipment and which costs you need to cover and which may be covered by health insurance.</p> | | | | <h2>What are the risks of LVR?</h2>
<p>Although safe when used properly, LVR carries the following low risks:</p>
<ul>
<li>pneumothorax (air leak in the lungs) if too much force is used </li>
<li>air entering the stomach and causing discomfort if child is not co-ordinated with therapy</li>
</ul>
<p>Always stop doing LVR immediately if your child experiences chest pain, chest tightness or shortness of breath.</p> | | | | | | | | | | | | Lung volume recruitment: How it helps your child to take a deep breath | | False | | | | | |
