Table 6. Comparisons of cough and expectoration before and after the start of nebulization.
| Groups | Measures | Before | After | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ON (n=30) | FoC | 1.50±1.23 | 2.50±2.83 | 0.051 |
| T2E | 6.00±1.34 | 5.10±1.75 | 0.017 | |
| 30mSV (mL) | 1.20±1.99 | 1.75±1.59 | 0.183 | |
| Cases with successful expectoration (%) | 15 (50.0) | 21 (70.0) | 0.043 | |
| UN (n=30) | FoC | 1.77±1.33 | 4.03±3.63 | 0.001 |
| T2E | 6.23±1.14 | 3.63±2.08* | 0.001 | |
| 30mSV (mL) | 1.01±2.43 | 3.16±2.61* | 0.001 | |
| Cases with successful expectoration (%) | 12 (40.0) | 24 (80.0) | 0.000 | |
| UNWO (n=31) | FoC | 1.74±1.26 | 3.90±2.84 | 0.000 |
| T2E | 6.06±1.37 | 3.26±1.77** | 0.000 | |
| 30mSV (mL) | 0.85±1.07 | 4.05±2.56** | 0.000 | |
| Cases with successful expectoration (%) | 15 (48.4) | 29 (93.5)* | 0.000 |
Data are presented as mean ± SD unless otherwise specified. *, P<0.05; **, P<0.01 vs. ON group by ANCOVA. FoC, frequency of cough; T2E, time to first expectoration; 30mSV, the 30-min volume of expectorated sputum; ON, oxygen-driven nebulization; UN, ultrasonic nebulization; UNWO, ultrasonic nebulization with warming and oxygen.