Abstract Advances in perinatal treatment practices—such as antenatal corticosteroids, surfactant replacement therapy, and gentler ventilator modalities—have improved the survival of infants born preterm. Consequently, later morbidity and pulmonary outcome for survivors has attracted increasing interest. The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains high and the condition is manifesting in infants born at earlier gestational weeks than before. This so-called new BPD results from the arrest of alveolar development and is associated with less structural airway injury and interstitial fibrosis than previously. Long-term follow-up data on lung function, lung structure and respiratory morbidity of children treated with modern methods is insufficiently known. We performed a follow-up study of 88 preterm-born children and 88 matched term-born controls at school age. Children born preterm had lower values in lung function measurements than term-born peers. Reductions were most marked in those with a history of BPD. In accordance with the foetal origins hypothesis, children with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) had lower lung function than gestation-controls. This indicates that poor growth in utero is an additional burden on pulmonary health. Both IUGR and BPD predicted lower lung function independently. High-resolution computed tomography of the lung was obtained from 21 children with a history of BPD. Structural abnormalities were common, children with severe BPD being most affected. Preterm children were hospitalised more often than controls, mainly because of wheezing disorders. However, BPD did not influence the hospitalisations. According to the meta-analysis of the contemporary data available, the respiratory outcome of children who had only mild BPD may have improved in comparison to old follow-up data, whereas the results for those without BPD or moderate-to-severe BPD have remained remarkably stable despite progress in treatment practices during early life. In conclusion, preterm children had subtle impairments in lung function at school age. Although they were fairly asymptomatic, concern about the possible long-term effects of preterm birth on pulmonary health is justified. It has been proposed that BPD may predispose individuals to an early COPD-like disorder. Preterm children must be protected from any additional burden on respiratory health and should be monitored appropriately for early detection of lung disease. / Tiivistelmä Keskosten tehohoito on kehittynyt viime vuosikymmeninä merkittävästi, ja yhä epäkypsempänä syntyvät keskoset selviävät hengissä syntymän jälkeen. Keskosten pitkäaikainen keuhkosairaus, bronkopulmonaalinen dysplasia (BPD), on perinteisesti johtunut hengityskonehoidon ja happikaasun aiheuttamasta keuhkovauriosta ja johtanut keuhkokudoksen arpeutumiseen. Aiempaa ennenaikaisemmilla keskosilla esiintyy kuitenkin nykyään niin sanottua uutta BPD:tä, jonka ajatellaan johtuvan enemmän keuhkorakkuloiden kehityshäiriöstä kuin hoitojen aiheuttamasta keuhkovauriosta. Selvitimme, miten nykyaikaisilla menetelmillä hoidettujen keskosten keuhkojen rakenne ja toiminta kehittyvät kouluikään mennessä. Seurantatutkimukseemme osallistui 88 ennenaikaisena syntynyttä, kouluikään ehtinyttä lasta ja 88 täysiaikaisena syntynyttä, kaltaistettua verrokkia. Keskosena syntyneiden lasten keuhkofunktio oli kouluiässä huonompi kuin täysiaikaisena syntyneiden verrokkien. Alhaisin keuhkofunktio oli niillä keskosena syntyneillä lapsilla, jotka olivat sairastaneet vastasyntyneenä BPD:n. Myös kohdunsisäiseen kasvuhäiriöön (intrauterine growth restriction, IUGR) liittyi alentunut keuhkofunktio. BPD ja IUGR ennustivat alentunutta keuhkofunktiota toisistaan riippumatta. Tutkimuksessa tehtiin myös keuhkojen ohutleiketietokonekuvaus 21 keskoselle, jotka olivat sairastaneet BPD:n. Lähes kaikilla havaittiin poikkeavia löydöksiä – eniten niillä, joilla oli ollut vastasyntyneenä BPD:n vaikea tautimuoto. Keskosina syntyneet joutuivat kahden ensimmäisen vuoden aikana verrokkeja useammin sairaalahoitoon. Yleisimpiä syitä olivat hengityksen vinkumista aiheuttavat taudit kuten ilmatiehyttulehdus, ahtauttava keuhkoputkitulehdus tai akuutti astmakohtaus. Vastasyntyneenä sairastettu BPD ei kuitenkaan lisännyt todennäköisyyttä joutua sairaalahoitoon. Tutkimuksessa tehtiin myös meta-analyysi nykyaikaisilla menetelmillä hoidettujen keskosten keuhkofunktiosta: lievää BPD:tä sairastavien tulokset näyttävät parantuneen, kun taas keskivaikeaa tai vaikeaa tautimuotoa sairastavien ja ilman BPD:tä selvinneiden keuhkofunktio ei ole muuttunut uusien hoitojen myötä. Yhteenvetona voidaan todeta, että keskosten keuhkojen toimintakyky on jonkin verran alentunut täysiaikaisiin verrattuna. Lievästi alentunut keuhkofunktio ei kuitenkaan yleensä aiheuttanut koululaisille oireita. Keskosena syntyneiden lasten hengityselinten toimintaa on syytä seurata, sillä niin sanotun uuden BPD:n pitkäaikaisesta ennusteesta ei ole vielä tietoa.

Title Best current evidence on chest physiotherapy in non-ventilated paediatric patients (0 to 24 months) with bronchiolitis: a systematic review. Purpose To determine the current scientific evidence for using three chest physiotherapy modalities namely percussion, postural drainage and suctioning in paediatric patients (0 to 24 months). Relevance The field of cardiopulmonary physiotherapy seems to be a neglected area in physiotherapy, with a subsequently limited evidence base. The author observed that in various clinical settings physiotherapists tend to administer routine chest physiotherapy to paediatric patients with bronchiolitis. Findings from this study may assist physiotherapists in their choice of effective treatment options. Sources The following databases were searched for evidence: African Health Line, CINAHL, Cochrane, Ebsco Host, Emerald Host, UP E-theses/dissertations, PEDro, Medline Ovid, Sabinet, Science Direct, Up To Date. Methodology This was a systematic review. The databases were reviewed by making use of a specified search strategy customised for each database. Keywords were: physiotherapy/physical therapy, bronchiolitis and paediatric/pediatric in combination with percussion, postural drainage and suction. The search yielded 10,016 study titles. Studies were chosen from the population of studies using pre-set inclusion and exclusion criteria. These criteria were applied to the titles, abstracts and full-text articles as appropriate. Five full text-articles were appraised and based on the scores from the appraisal three were included in the final sample. Data analysis Appraisal instruments from the National Health System Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (NHS CASP) and the PEDro scale (for randomised controlled trials) were used to evaluate and score the sample. Scoring was done independently by two researchers, and agreement reached through negotiation. The evidence was synthesised and graded according to the Sackett hierarchy of evidence. Results Owing to the heterogeneity of the sample, and the nature of results reported, a meta-analysis was not possible. Results from this study reveal that there is no evidence to support routine chest physiotherapy in uncomplicated viral bronchiolitis amongst the paediatric population. Chest physiotherapy does not decrease length of hospital stay, oxygen requirements or clinical scores indicating distress/morbidity. However, with secondary bacterial respiratory infections, chest physiotherapy may be indicated, depending on the assessment of each individual patient. Conclusion Percussion, postural drainage and suctioning are not effective in the management of bronchiolitis in children, newborn to 24 months old, except in individually assessed cases with secondary bacterial infection. In this subset, physiotherapy must be customised to the patient. Therefore routine physiotherapy is not indicated. Implications Chest physiotherapy should be based on a complete evaluation and on clinical merit, as well as on evidence and patient preference. Education of physiotherapy students at universities as well as doctors regarding the current evidence for chest physiotherapy in paediatric bronchiolitis is essential. Doctors and clinicians need to be made aware that routine chest physiotherapy for paediatric patients with bronchiolitis should not be prescribed. AFRIKAANS : Titel Die beste huidige bewyse aangaande longfistioterapie vir non geventileerde pediatriese pasiënte (0 tot 24 maande) met brongiolitis: 'n sistematiese oorsig. Doel Om huidige wetenskaplike bewyse vir die gebruik van drie long fisioterapietegnieke naamlik beklopping, posturale dreinasie en suiging in pediatriese pasiënte (0 tot 24 maande) te bepaal. Toepaslikheid Die veld van pediatriese fisioterapie blyk 'n verwaarloosde area van navorsing te wees, met gevolglik beperkte bewysbasis. Die navorser het ondervind dat fisioterapeute dikwels in kliniese praktyk roetine longfisioterapie in pediatriese pasiënte met brongiolitis toepas. Bewyslewering vanuit hierdie studie kan fisioterapeute help met die keuse van effektiewe behandelingsprosedures. Bronne Die volgende databasisse is deursoek vir bewyse: African Health Line, CINAHL, Cochrane, Ebsco Host, Emerald Host, UP e-theses and dissertations, PEDro, Medline, Sabinet, Science Direct en Up To Date. Die soektog het 10,016 titels gelewer. Metode 'n Sistematiese oorsig van die data is uitgevoer deur 'n gespesifiseerde soekstrategie, aangepas vir elke databasis, te volg. Sleutelwoorde was: “physiotherapy/physical therapy”, “bronchiolitis” and “paediatric/pediatric” in kombinasie met “percussion”, “postural drainage” and “suction”. Voorafbepaalde insluitings- en uitsluitingskriteria is toegepas op titels, abstrakte en artikels soos toepaslik. Data analise Evalueringsinstrumente van die “National Health System Critical Appraisal Skills programme” (NHS CASP) asook die PEDro skaal (ewekansige gekontroleerde eksperiment) is gebruik vir evaluasie van en puntetoedeling vir die verkose studies. Die puntetoekenning is onafhanklik deur twee navorsers gedoen en konsensus is bereik deur onderhandeling. Die inligting verkry is gesintetiseer en gegradeer aan die hand van die Sackett hiërargie van bewyse. As gevolg van die heterogeniteit van die ingeslote studies en die aard van die resultate was 'n meta-analise nie moontlik nie. Resultate Die studie het bevind dat daar geen bewyse is vir roetine borskasfisioterapie van ongekompliseerde akute virale pediatriese brongiolitis nie. Borskasfisioterapie verminder nie die duur van hospitaalverblyf, suurstofbehoeftes of die kliniese respiratoriese aanduiding van stres in die pasiënte nie. In die geval van sekondêre bakteriële respiratoriese infeksies mag borskasfisoterapie egter geindikeerd wees, afhangend van die evaluasie van elke individuele pasiënt. Gevolgtrekking Beklopping, posturale dreinasie, en suiging as roetine behandeling is nie effektief in die behandeling van brongiolitis in pasgebore tot 24 maand oue pasiënte nie, behalwe individuele gevalle met sekondêre bakteriële infeksies. In hierdie spesifieke subgroep moet borskasfisioterapie aangepas word vir pasiënt. Roetine fisioterapie is dus nie aangedui nie. Implikasies Borskasfisioterapie moet gebasseer wees op 'n volledige evaluasie en kliniese meriete, asook bewyslewering en die pasiënt se voorkeure. Opleiding van fisioterapie studente by universiteite, asook dokters aangaande die huidige bewyslewering vir borskasfisioterapie in pediatriese brongiolitis is belangrik. Dokters en klinici moet bewus gemaak word dat roetine borskasfisioterapie vir pediatriese brongiolitis pasiënte nie voorgeskryf moet word nie. Additional information available on a CD stored at the Merensky Library. / Dissertation (MPhysT)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Physiotherapy / unrestricted