Effects of a program of hospital-supervised chest physical therapy on lung function tests in children with chronic respiratory disease: 1-year follow-up.
To investigate whether a hospital-supervised program of chest physical therapy improves lung function in children with chronic pulmonary diseases, twenty-four children (4 with Kartagener?s syndrome, 12 with common variable immunodeficiency, and 8 with primary ciliary dyskinesia) average age 11.2 +/- 3.2 years, were randomly assigned to a one-month hospital-supervised program of chest physical therapy (13 patients) or to a control group (11 patients) that continued unsupervised chest physical therapy at home. Lung function was assessed before the program, and one and 12 months after. At the one-month assessment, thoracic gas volume was significantly lower in the supervised group than in the controls. At the one-year assessment, forced expiratory volume in one second was significantly higher in the supervised group than in controls. A supervised program of chest physical therapy significantly improved lung function in children with chronic pulmonary diseases.
Indinnimeo
L
L
Pediatric Department, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. luciana.indinnimeo@uniroma1.it
Tancredi
G
G
Barreto
M
M
De Castro
G
G
Zicari
A M
AM
Monaco
F
F
Duse
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017074:Common Variable Immunodeficiency / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007619:Kartagener Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013909:Thorax / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome