[Tracheobronchial clearance in the hypersecreting asthmatic patient]

Tracheo-bronchial clearance in the hyper-secreting asthmatic patient was studied by observing the elimination over a period of time of a tracer placed on the bronchial wall over time. The authors describe the method used. The analysis of the results enables two purification processes to be distinguished: muco-ciliary activity and cough. The reliability of the method enabled comparison of the results obtained in 7 healthy subjects and 11 hyper-secreting asthmatics. In the healthy subjects, clearance is carried out by the muco-ciliary activity. In the asthmatics, global clearance is normal, but the cough plays an essential role as the muco-ciliary activity is decreased. The question then arises as to whether the decreased muco-ciliary activity in asthmatic patients is due to failure of the bronchial cilia or to the mucus.