Effects of selected bronchial drainage positions and percussion on blood pressure of healthy human subjects.

The purpose of this experimental study was to examine blood pressure changes of healthy subjects in response to position changes (from supine to level and head-down side lying) and percussion. Twenty male and 20 female volunteers with a mean age of 25.9 years were divided randomly into four groups so that each group consisted of 5 men and 5 women. After resting supine for 20 minutes, subjects assumed a level or a head-down side-lying position (-10 degrees) for 6 minutes. During this 6 minutes, percussion was applied to two of the four groups. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures significantly decreased when subjects turned from a supine to a level or a head-down side-lying position. The decreases lasted the length of time the side-lying position was maintained. The blood pressure responses to head-down side lying did not significantly differ from the responses to level side lying. The blood pressure responses to the level and the head-down side-lying positions with percussion did not differ from the responses to these positions without percussion.