Abstract

Background and objective: Chest physical therapy (CPT) is widely used for the management of childhood respiratory disorders, however, studies that quantify this effect are scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of a single chest physical therapy (CPT) session on the bronchial obstruction of children younger than three years old. Material and Methods: This is an exploratory study. Thirty nine children younger than three years old (26 males and 13 females) with syndrome of bronchial obstruction (SBO) were included. The level of bronchial obstruction was measured with the modified Score of Tal before and after a single CPT session. Through the Wilcoxon test, comparisons of the bronchial obstruction levels were made of the whole group, males, females, and in those younger and older than 9 months as well. Results: Significant reductions in bronchial obstruction levels were seen in all the children, an effect that was also seen in the males, females, and in those younger and older than 9 months (p<.05) after a single CPT session. Conclusion: A single CPT session was effective in reducing the bronchial obstruction levels in children with SBO, younger than three years old.