By manually restricting the ventilation on the good side I mean this: Stand at the patient's good side, open hand or hands over the lateral thorax. Ask the patient to breathe in while you monitor the lateral costal expansion, then as he exhales follow with your hand on that side assisting his expiration. Maintain that pressure as tolerated when you ask him to inhale again. By restricting that flow into the good side, the bad side is forced to expand. This technique works well in the absence or the presence of secretions, and helps to preven atelectasis.

Susan PT