Overview

A lung volume recruitment (LVR) bag helps you to get more air into your lungs. It’s a stiff, handheld bag that’s filled with air. The bag has a tube that you can connect to a mask or mouthpiece. When you squeeze the bag, it pushes air into your lungs through a one-way valve.

An LVR bag lets you ‘stack’ several small breaths without breathing out in between. This means you can add more air to each breath, filling your lungs more than usual.

Benefits of an LVR bag

Taking a big breath can improve your ability to cough. Coughing is important for clearing mucus or phlegm from your lungs. Using an LVR bag regularly can reduce the risk of chest infections and help maintain your lung volumes.

Who can use an LVR bag

Your physiotherapist might have given you an LVR bag if you find it difficult to:

• take big breaths
• hold your breath
• cough

This might be because:

• the muscles that help you breathe are weak
• you have problems with your lung tissue
• you have problems with your throat or vocal cords – this area is sometimes called the glottis

How to use your LVR bag

1. Sit in an upright position in a bed or on a chair.
2. Put your mouth around the mouthpiece or put the mask over your nose and mouth. Try to create a tight seal so air does not escape. If your physiotherapist has advised you to use a nose clip, put it on.
3. Take 4 to 6 short breaths in, squeezing the bag each time, until you cannot breathe in any more air.
4. Hold your breath for 2 to 3 seconds. If you find this difficult, you can breathe out while keeping the mouthpiece or mask tightly in place. The bag will hold the air for you as it has a one-way valve.
5. Cough strongly as you take off the mask or mouthpiece.
6. Repeat this for as many times as your physiotherapist tells you to.

How many times to use your LVR bag

Your physiotherapist will tell you how many times you should use the LVR bag each day. You can continue to use it more if you feel that you need more sessions to help clear your chest.

Using the LVR bag can be tiring. Make sure you rest between repetitions if you need to. This will prevent you from getting too dizzy or breathless.

Asking someone to help you

You can ask a friend, family member or carer to help you use the LVR bag. They need to be trained so that they know how to use it properly.

Tell your physiotherapist if you need help. They will teach the person helping you how to squeeze the bag and hold the mask or mouthpiece to your face.

Before someone helps you use the LVR bag, you should agree on a signal you’ll use to let them know when you cannot breathe in any more air.

The person helping you should also remind you to cough when you remove the mask or mouthpiece.

Cleaning your LVR bag

You can remove the mask, mouthpiece and tubes from the LVR bag. Wash them with warm soapy water and leave them to air dry.