Long-term Evaluation of the SIMEOX Device at Home in Non-cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis

Brief Summary

Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease of multiple aetiologies characterised by permanent dilatation of the calibre of a territory of the bronchial tree with impaired mucociliary clearance. This alteration causes mucus retention, leading to infections and chronic bronchial inflammation. Respiratory physiotherapy is one of the cornerstones of the management of these patients, in particular to facilitate bronchial drainage. In patients with abundant bronchial secretions, it is recommended that bronchial drainage sessions be carried out on a daily or more frequent basis, which represents a very substantial burden in terms of care. In addition, access to respiratory physiotherapy is not always easy for patients due to geographical or time constraints or the availability of professionals. Moreover, few professionals are trained in this specific care for chronic lung diseases. SIMEOX (Physio-Assist, France) is an innovative medical device (CE medical mark) for draining the bronchial tree. By means of a mouthpiece, this device generates a succession of very short intermittent negative air pressure pulses which disseminate a pneumatic vibratory signal in the patient's bronchial tree, modifying the rheological properties of the mucus, facilitating the mobilisation of secretions and assisting their transport towards the upper airways. A recent pilot study demonstrated that the use of SIMEOX independently by the patient at home for 3 months, combined with remote Physiotherapy (1 session/2 weeks), provided a very satisfactory bronchial drainage solution for patients (satisfaction assessed at 9/10 by visual analogue scale), with an improvement in their quality of life and very good compliance with the device (median of 4.7 sessions/week). This bronchial drainage strategy requires a long-term assessment. Hypothesis: the use of SIMEOX independently by the patient at home could improve long-term quality of life and reduce the rate of pulmonary exacerbations in non-cystic fibrosis (non-CF) patients with bronchiectasis (bronchial dilatation) in comparison to Standard of Care (SoC).