Real-world Study of COPD Patients Shows Nondrug Aerobika Device Reduces Exacerbations

Positive results from a real-world study were recently presented evaluating the effectiveness of the Aerobika Oscillating PEP nondrug device in reducing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations.

Trudell Medical International presented the results of the study at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress Sept. 3-7 in London.

Trudell anticipates Aerobika will impact the future management of COPD in patients with a history of exacerbations. The device is easily held, easy to use, and contains no drugs. When the patient exhales through the device, intermittent resistance creates simultaneous positive pressure and oscillations, which stents open the airways and assists in mucus clearance to the upper airways, where it can be coughed out.

An exacerbation is when patients suffer from acute (fast evolving and short, but intense) episodes where their symptoms worsen. Patients with COPD exacerbations often end up at the hospital because airways are compromised by inflammation and mucus buildup, causing patients to poorly respond to standard COPD-specific treatments.

Recovery often takes weeks and may lead to further airway deterioration, leading to higher risk of relapses. About one in every five patients admitted to the hospital requires re-admission within a month, according to a study published in the journal CHEST titled “Understanding Why Patients With COPD Get Readmitted.”

The real-world, retrospective cohort study of the Aerobika device lasted for six months, using the hospital Charge Detail Master (CDM) database. The study involved 810 patients, 405 receiving treatment with Aerobika and 405 receiving propensity score matched controls.

The study’s primary outcome was to measure the proportion of patients with moderate-to-severe and severe exacerbations at 30 days. Secondary outcomes assessed resource utilization and exacerbation-related costs.

Results showed a clinically significant reduction in exacerbations in as little as 30 days of treatment, when Aerobika was used as an add-on to standard COPD medications.

“These results carry important implications for how we manage COPD patients with a history of exacerbations,” Dr. Brian Carlin, MD, FCCP, FAASM, said in a press release. “Adding the Aerobika device to our current COPD treatment protocols could significantly improve patient outcomes while decreasing the burden on our healthcare resources.”

Aerobika has been previously validated in clinical studies, demonstrating improvement in airway ventilation, lung function, and quality of life.

“This new study has validated the use of this device in a real-world setting, providing a drug-free addition to post-exacerbation therapy for COPD patients,” said Dr. Jason Suggett, group director of Science & Technology at Trudell.

The Aerobika device is available in Canada, Mexico, certain European countries including Germany and the U.K., and in the United States, via the Monaghan Medical Corporation.

Here is a short video, released by Trudell Medical International, explaining how Aerobika works: