Abstract

AimTo 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. MethodsForty-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(2) 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(2)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. ResultsThere 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(2)= (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. ConclusionThere was no evidence of clinical benefits from these specific CPT techniques for infants receiving outpatient care for acute wheezing episodes.