Chest physiotherapy is not clinically indicated for infants receiving outpatient care for acute wheezing episodes. (10th March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Castro‐Rodriguez, Jose A.; Silva, Rodrigo; Tapia, Patricio; Salinas, Pamela; Tellez, Alvaro; Leisewitz, Thomas; Sanchez, Ignacio
• Is Part Of: Acta pædiatrica. Volume 103:Number 5(2014:May)
• Page Start: 518
• Page End: 523
• Publication Date: 2014-03-10
• Subjects: Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pediatrics; 618.92
• DOI: 10.1111/apa.12578
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0803-5253

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="apa12578-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="apa12578-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Aim</title> <p>To evaluate the effectiveness of chest physiotherapy (CPT), which provides slow and long expiratory flow and assisted cough techniques, in infants receiving outpatient care for acute wheezing episodes.</p> </sec> <sec id="apa12578-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Forty‐eight infants with moderate acute wheezing episodes were randomised to receive either salbutamol MDI with CPT (n = 25) or without CPT (n = 23). The clinical score and SpO<sub>2</sub> levels were recorded, before and after treatment, in a blinded design. The primary outcome was discharge after the first hour of treatment: clinical score ≤5/12 and SpO<sub>2</sub> ≥ 93%. Secondary outcomes were the number of admissions to hospital after the second hour, use of oral corticosteroid bursts and admissions to hospital on day seven.</p> </sec> <sec id="apa12578-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>There were no differences between children with and without CPT in discharge rate (92% vs. 87%), clinical score (median [IQR]: 2.8 [2.2–3.3] vs. 3.4 [2.8–4.1]) and SpO<sub>2</sub>= (96.4 [95.7–97.1] vs. 96.0 [94.9–96.5]) after the first hour of treatment or in the number of hospital admissions after the second hour. No differences were observed at days seven and 28 following treatment.</p> </sec> <sec id="apa12578-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>There was no evidence of clinical benefits from these specific CPT techniques for infants receiving outpatient care for acute wheezing episodes.</p> </sec> </abstract>