title: Chest physiotherapy for the surgical patient.
abstract: This article reviews the evidence that chest physiotherapy is effective in the prevention and treatment of pulmonary complications after major abdominal and thoracic surgery. There is some evidence that regular chest physiotherapy significantly decreases the incidence of pulmonary complications, although the mechanism of this effect is uncertain. It is not known whether chest physiotherapy is effective in the treatment of postoperative pulmonary complications after they have developed.
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Australia.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Stiller
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Munday
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods; D013909:Thorax