Airflow Features Obtained From Voluntary Throat Clearing Compared to Voluntary Cough and Induced Reflexive Cough in a Healthy Population.
Sofiana Mootassim-Billah, Gwen Van Nuffelen, Jean Schoentgen and 4 others
PMID 41246892WHAT IT FOUND
Voluntary throat clearing produces significantly lower peak expiratory flow rates than voluntary or induced reflexive coughs in healthy adults.
The aerodynamic profile differs markedly, with throat clearing showing lower multiple-peak flow rates rather than the high single-peak flow seen in coughing.
Key findings
01Peak expiratory flow rate and total expired volume were significantly lower for voluntary throat clearings compared to voluntary coughs.
02Peak expiratory flow rate was significantly lower for voluntary throat clearings compared to induced reflexive coughs.
03Peak expiratory flow rate was significantly higher for voluntary coughs compared to induced reflexive coughs.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted in a healthy population, so results may not apply to patients with dysphagia or respiratory conditions. Participants were asked to produce single voluntary coughs and throat clearings, which may not reflect natural production. The equipment required an inspiration prior to throat clearing, which differs from how throat clearing often occurs naturally. Age, gender, height and weight were not explicitly taken into account in the comparisons. Data collection occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected the representativeness of the sample.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Association Jules Bordet. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lower airflow in throat clearing as evidence that it is ineffective for all clearance purposes. The study measured healthy adults and did not assess clearance of aspirated material, so the clinical significance for dysphagic patients remains speculative.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →