Autogenic drainage

Autogenic drainage is an airway clearance technique that uses controlled breathing at varied lung volumes to help clear secretions from the smaller peripheral airways to the larger central airways. It involves three stages - loosening mucus in the small airways (unstick), collecting mucus from the middle airways (collect), and removing mucus from the central airways (evacuate). The technique generates shearing forces through expiratory airflow to mobilize and transport secretions. Autogenic drainage is particularly suited for people with chronic hypersecretory lung diseases like cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis.