Overview
Active airway clearance techniques (ACTs) are essential for individuals with impaired mucociliary clearance due to conditions such as cystic fibrosis, primary ciliary dyskinesia, and bronchiectasis.
This evidence-informed online course guides physiotherapists and healthcare professionals through the rationale, evidence base, and practical application of ACTs in home settings.
Historically, passive techniques like postural drainage were used; however, modern active techniques - including positive expiratory pressure (PEP), oscillating PEP, active cycle of breathing, autogenic drainage, and high-frequency chest wall oscillation—have become central to effective pulmonary care.
This course highlights how to prescribe and tailor home airway clearance programs as part of conservative respiratory management.
Learning Objectives
By completing this course, participants will be able to:
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Describe the clinical rationale for active airway clearance techniques and how they differ from passive methods.
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Explain the evidence and theory behind key ACTs such as PEP, oscillating PEP, autogenic drainage, and high-frequency chest wall oscillation.
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Demonstrate knowledge of practical application and demonstration of ACTs suitable for home use.
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Integrate ACT selection and progression into individualized patient care plans for chronic and acute respiratory conditions.
Audience
This course is designed for physiotherapists, cardiorespiratory specialists, respiratory therapists, rehabilitation clinicians, and other healthcare professionals involved in pulmonary care and home management of airway clearance programs. It is applicable across community, outpatient, and specialized clinical settings.
Why This Course Matters
Effective airway clearance is fundamental to maintaining lung health and gas exchange in populations with compromised mucociliary function. ACTs improve secretion mobilization, promote ventilation, and can prevent complications such as atelectasis and infection in conditions like cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis.
With growing emphasis on home-based and patient-centered care, practitioners must be equipped with the latest evidence and practical strategies to support patients in self-management and long-term respiratory health. This course bridges evidence and clinical practice, focusing on techniques widely used in professional practice for over three decades.
About the Presenter
Blythe Owen, PT, CAE
Blythe Owen is a physiotherapist with extensive experience in pediatric respirology, lung transplant, and intensive care settings, having worked at institutions including McMaster Children’s Hospital and SickKids. She has focused on airway clearance in cystic fibrosis, contributing as a co-author and investigator on key research, including Canada’s first physiotherapist-led multicentre randomized controlled trial comparing high-frequency chest wall oscillation with PEP therapy. Her work has influenced clinical practice and practice guidelines.
