Observational studyThe European respiratory journal2024
Airway clearance management in people with bronchiectasis: data from the European Bronchiectasis Registry (EMBARC).
Observational study in The European respiratory journal, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. It is linked to trial NCT06801327 (Comparison Between Different Respiratory Physiotherapy Techniques in Patients With Bronchiectasis. Conventional Therapy Versus Simeox), which is not on this map. Cited by 33 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Comparison Between Different Respiratory Physiotherapy Techniques in Patients With Bronchiectasis. Conventional Therapy Versus Simeox: a Single-center, Randomized, Controlled, Cross-over Study
Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- The European respiratory society guideline for adult bronchiectasis 2025: summary and implementation guide for primary care.NPJ primary care respiratory medicine · 2026Guideline
- Mucoactive agents in bronchiectasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026Pooled it
- Management of Adult Bronchiectasis: Consensus-Based Guidelines of the German Respiratory Society.Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases · 2026Guideline
- Effects of hypertonic saline and/or carbocisteine on sputum rheology in bronchiectasis: CLEAR-EME.ERJ open research · 2026Article
- Age-Specific Considerations in Bronchiectasis Management: Focus on Older Adults with Emphasis on Anti-inflammatory Treatment.Drugs & aging · 2026Review
- Physiotherapy in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia-What Is the Evidence?: A Narrative Review and Personal Experience.Pediatric pulmonology · 2026Review
- Walking With Huffing: A Practical New Option for Airway Clearance During Bronchiectasis Exacerbations?Respirology (Carlton, Vic.) · 2026Article
- Article
- The association between chronic rhinosinusitis, bronchiectasis and type 2 inflammation: an EMBARC registry analysis.ERJ open research · 2026Article
- Rapid molecular detection of respiratory pathogens in patients with bronchiectasis.ERJ open research · 2026Article
- Assessment of a bacterial quantification assay to detect and monitorERJ open research · 2026Article
- International consensus on airway clearance techniques for patients hospitalised with acute exacerbations of COPD: a European Delphi study.ERJ open research · 2026Article
- Airway clearance management for bronchiectasis in China: a multicentre cross-sectional study from the Chinese bronchiectasis registry (BE-China).The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2026Article
- The European Respiratory Society guideline for management of adult bronchiectasis: clinical summary.Breathe (Sheffield, England) · 2026Review
- Rehabilitation interventions in bronchiectasis: expanding evidence, personalization, and clinical practice.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026Review
- Precision diagnostics in bronchiectasis: current advances in imaging, microbiology, biomarkers, and digital health.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Whole-genome and pan-genome analyses reveal genomic differences among nontypeableFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
- Greater disease severity in adults with paediatric-onsetThe European respiratory journal · 2026Article
- Nasal negative pressure oscillatory therapy versus oscillatory positive expiratory pressure for airway clearance in patients with acute exacerbations of bronchiectasis (NNPO-BE): a multicentre, randomised, crossover non-inferiority trial protocol.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Considerations in the Diagnosis and Management of Bronchiectasis in Older Adults.Clinics in geriatric medicine · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
39 authors at 20 institutions in 18 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInternational guidelines recommend airway clearance management as one of the important pillars of bronchiectasis treatment. However, the extent to which airway clearance is used for people with bronchiectasis in Europe is unclear. The aim of the study was to identify the use of airway clearance management in patients with bronchiectasis across different countries and factors influencing airway clearance use.
methodsThis was a prospective observational study using data from the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration (EMBARC) Registry between January 2015 and April 2022. Prespecified options for airway clearance management were recorded, including airway clearance techniques, devices and use of mucoactive drugs.
results16 723 people with bronchiectasis from 28 countries were included in the study. The mean age was 67 years (interquartile range 57-74 years, range 18-100 years) and 61% were female. 72% of the participants reported daily sputum expectoration and 52% (95% CI 51-53%) of all participants reported using regular airway clearance management. Active cycle of breathing technique was used by 28% of the participants and airway clearance devices by 16% of participants. The frequency of airway clearance management and techniques used varied significantly between different countries. Participants who used airway clearance management had greater disease severity and worse symptoms, including a higher daily sputum volume, compared to those who did not use it regularly. Mucoactive drugs were also more likely to be used in participants with more severe disease. Access to specialist respiratory physiotherapy was low throughout Europe, but particularly low in Eastern Europe.
conclusionsOnly a half of people with bronchiectasis in Europe use airway clearance management. Use of and access to devices, mucoactive drugs and specialist chest physiotherapy appears to be limited in many European countries.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.