Comparison of the effects that two different respiratory physical therapy techniques have on cardiorespiratory parameters in infants with acute viral bronchiolitis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the expiratory flow increase technique (EFIT) and vibration accompanied by postural drainage (PD) in terms of their effects on the heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and SpO(2) of infants with acute viral bronchiolitis (AVB).


METHODS
Infants with clinical and radiological diagnosis of AVB were analyzed. The HR, RR and SpO(2) were registered at four time points: prior to the procedure; and at 10, 30 and 60 min after the procedure. The patients were divided into three groups: submitted to the EFIT; submitted to vibration/PD; and control.


RESULTS
We included 81 infants, 27 per group, with a mean age of 4.52 years and a mean weight of 6.56 kg. Using ANOVA, we found that the EFIT and vibration/PD groups presented no significant differences in relation to the control group in terms of the mean values for HR, RR or SpO(2) (p > 0.05). Considering only the four time points evaluated, the mean RR was significantly lower in the EFIT and vibration/PD groups than in the control group (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
In terms of overall improvement of cardiorespiratory parameters, neither the EFIT nor vibration/PD provided any benefit to infants with BVA. However, over time, respiratory physical therapy seems to contribute to decreasing the RR in these patients.
Pupin
Melissa Karina
MK
Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brasil. melketson@hotmail.com
Riccetto
Adriana Gut Lopes
AG
Ribeiro
José Dirceu
JD
Baracat
Emílio Carlos Elias
EC
D000208:Acute Disease; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D035641:Chest Wall Oscillation / Q000379:methods; D015916:Drainage, Postural / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D056152:Respiratory Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D012138:Respiratory Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology
D010100:Oxygen