Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Comparison of Airway Clearance Efficacy of Sine Wave and Triangular Wave High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) Devices in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis
Brief Summary: Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) must perform daily bronchial drainage therapy (BD) to keep their airways clear of secretions. Many different techniques are available to achieve this and there is currently no agreement as to which form of therapy is most effective. High frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO is used for this purpose by CF patients throughout the United States and abroad. To perform this therapy, the patient wears a vest which fits over the entire torso and is connected to an air compressor. The compressor generates oscillating air pulses that are transmitted to the lungs, thereby mobilizing secretions. The oscillations produced by the most commonly used device have a sinusoidal wave form (The Vest™ Airway Clearance System, Hill-Rom Inc, St Paul, MN). Previous studies indicate this form of therapy is as effective as more traditional and cumbersome forms of therapy. The design of the pulse generator has been recently modified so that the oscillations produced have a triangular wave form (Respitech Inc, MN). Studies done at the University of Minnesota found that the air flows induced in the airways can vary substantially depending on the wave form applied to the chest. At present, the impact of using a triangular wave form on mucus removal is unknown. The proposed study will compare mucous clearance using a device generating sine wave oscillations to a device generating triangular wave oscillations.

Hypothesis: Bronchial drainage using a triangular wave form of HFCWO will result in superior sputum production compared to HFCWO using a sine wave form.

Secondary Hypotheses:

Bronchial drainage using a triangular wave form of HFCWO may result in sputum with rheologic properties distinct from sputum produced while using sine wave HFCWO.

Bronchial drainage using a triangular wave form of HFCWO may result in superior post-therapy pulmonary function tests compared to pulmonary function tests obtained following therapy with sine wave HFCWO.

Subjects will perceive bronchial drainage using a triangular wave form of HFCWO as more comfortable than airway clearance using sine wave HFCWO.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Confirmed diagnosis of CF based on either two CF-causing mutations and/or a sweat chloride concentration during two tests of \> 60 mmol/l
* Patients that are able to provide sputum samples
* Adult age ≥ 18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

* Unstable condition affecting participation in the exercise experiments (i.e., major hemoptysis or pneumothorax within the last 3 months, acute exacerbation and iv-antibiotics during the last 4 weeks, unstable allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, listed for lung transplantation, major musculoskeletal injuries such as fractures or sprains during the last 2 months, others according to the impression of the doctor)
* Cardiac arrhythmias with exercise
* Requiring additional oxygen with exercise
* Colonization with Burkholderia cenocepacia
* Status post lung transplantation
B: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male or female patients with a documented diagnosis of CF aged ≥18 years.
2. Written informed consent.
3. At least day 10 - 14 of IV antibiotic therapy during a hospital admission for a pulmonary exacerbation.
4. Patients must be able to perform acceptable spirometric manoeuvres, according to the American Thoracic Society/ERS (ATS/ERS) standards (Miller, Hankinson et. al. 2005).
5. Patient with an FEV1% predicted of ≥ 40%predicted (Stanojevic, Wade et al. 2008).
6. Patients who are productive of sputum from screening visit to study visit 1 (≥10g over 24 hours).
7. Patients who have been prescribed HTS (Nebusal 7%) and have successfully completed a challenge test.
8. Any other chronic medication must have commenced therapy 4 weeks prior to screening and be willing to continue this therapy for the entire duration of the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Day 1-9 of IV antibiotic therapy during a hospital admission.
2. Patients who are colonized with Burkholderia cepacia complex.
3. Patient who are HTS naive.
4. Patients who have an intolerance to HTS.
5. Patients who are currently participating in another study or have participated in another study with an investigational drug within one month of screening.
6. Clinically significant disease or medical condition other than CF or CF-related conditions that, in the opinion of the Investigator, would compromise the safety of the patient or the quality of the data.

   -
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Male or female 6 years of age or older at enrollment and be competent in performing spirometry.
* Confirmed diagnosis of CF.
* FEV1\> 45% predicted as calculated by Wang reference equations
* Written informed consent (and assent when applicable) obtained from subject or subject's legal representative and ability for subject to comply with the requirements of the study.
* Clinically stable at enrollment with no evidence of respiratory exacerbation within a month of enrollment as assessed by the site CF Physician.
* Willingness to adhere to prescribed treatment regimen.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of Allergic Broncho-Pulmonary Aspergillosis, or a persistent culture for B.cepacia complex within the previous 1 year period
* .On active treatment for non Tuberculous Mycobacterium.
* Use of intravenous antibiotics within the previous 14 days of enrollment.
* Initiation and or change in maintenance therapy within 14 days of enrollment.
* Use of systemic corticosteriods (1mg/kg if \< 20 kg or 20 mg of prednisone per day) within 14 days of enrollment.
* Concurrent participation in another study that could potentially affect the present study.
* Haemoptysis of over 20 mls on more than 2 occasions within the previous 30 days from enrollment.
* A pneumothorax in the six months preceding the study.
* Presence of a condition or abnormality that in the opinion of the site CF Physician would compromise the safety of the patient or the quality of the data.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Diagnosis of CF established by sweat chloride \> 60 mmol/L.
2. Age older than 18 years.
3. History of chronic daily sputum production.
4. Currently on a home therapeutic regimen that includes some form of BD performed at least 2 times daily that also includes concomitant use of an inhaled mucolytic and inhaled bronchodilator.
5. FVC and FEV1 \> 40%-predicted, and with stable lung function (no greater than a 10% variation in lung function parameters over the preceding 4 months).
6. Evaluated at the University of Minnesota CF Center 3 or more times in the preceding 12 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Hospitalization for CF pulmonary complications in the 2 months preceding enrollment.
2. Hemoptysis \> 60 cc in a single episode in the 4 weeks preceding enrollment.
3. Chronic chest pain.
4. Participation in another clinical trial in the previous 30 days.
5. Use of intravenous antibiotics in the 2 months preceding enrollment.

Answer: D