Started a response earlier and lost it. Have you tried other airway clearance and failed?
Exacerbation - asthma attacks and worse cough, then thicker or colored sputum, shortness of breath, tight or painful chest, low energy, bad fatigue, and fever.
As soon as it starts I add levalbuterol neb to 7%saline and increase to 2-4x a day. If it progresses to tight chest, call doc and start steroids. If it gets to fever, call doc for a course of antibiotics. Never got beyond, so I don't know what would be next.
May I ask why you are going to use the vest? Have you tried more conservative airway clearance methods?
Sue