Physiotherapy
Airway Clearance Techniques (ACT): Fundamentals for Physiotherapists managing Chronic Lung Disease
Course Aim
This two-day course will support physiotherapists to develop the knowledge, clinical reasoning and practical skills required to assess, prescribe and evaluate airway clearance techniques for people living with chronic lung disease. Its particularly aimed at physiotherapists, including those recently graduated, who have not completed an airway clearance course, or who are looking to refresh their knowledge in this area.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course participants will be able to:
Topics Include
- Active Cycle of Breathing Technique
- Autogenic drainage (AD) & assisted AD adult & paediatrics
- Positive expiratory pressure (PEP) and oscillating PEP techniques and devices
- Intrapulmonary percussive ventilation
- Exercise as alternative form of ACT / adjunctive to ACT
- Inhalation therapy adjunctive to and in combination with ACT
- Positioning for optimal deposition of inhaled medications and airway clearance
- Dysfunctional breathing
- Common musculoskeletal problems in patients with chronic lung disease
- Clinical application of ACT in adults & children with chronic lung disease including bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis and COPD
- Practical sessions for physiotherapists with patients demonstrating ACT
Meet Your Educators
Clinical A/Prof Brenda Button Respiratory Medicine, Alfred Health, Monash University, Melbourne, (Accredited ACT Instructor, ECFS PhySIIG)
Brenda is a physiotherapist with over 30 years experience in paediatric and adult respiratory medicine and teaches ACT internationally.
Janet Bondarenko, Physiotherapy Dept, Alfred Health, Melbourne
Janet is a physiotherapist with more than 20 years experience in adult respiratory medicine & is currently undertaking a PhD in patients with difficult to treat asthma and dysfunctional breathing.
Esta Tannenbaum, Senior Clinician, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne
Esta is a physiotherapist with more than 25 years of experience in the management of infants and children with chronic lung disease. She previously worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where she developed extensive expertise in paediatric respiratory physiotherapy.
Meg Poulsen, Senior Clinician, The Alfred, Melbourne
Meg is a physiotherapist with more than 10 years experience in adult respiratory medicine. She is currently undertaking a Masters by Research relating to exercise and people with CF.
We acknowledge the people of the Kulin Nation, the traditional custodians and pay our respects to their culture and their Elders past, present and emerging. We welcome all cultures, nationalities and religions. Being inclusive and providing equitable healthcare is our commitment.