title: Cardiopulmonary physical therapy practice in the paediatric intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Physical therapists play an important role in the pediatric intensive care setting. The purpose of this study was to describe current cardiopulmonary physical therapy (CPT) practices in a pediatric cardiac critical care unit (CCCU) and a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), as well as to determine the feasibility of obtaining clinically relevant outcome measures in this setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained reasons for admission, CPT treatment patterns, and availability of chest X-rays interpretation via a retrospective chart review of children who received CPT while in the PICU and CCCU (n=111).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Congenital cardiac conditions (34.2%) and primary respiratory deterioration (27.9%) were the most common reasons for admission; 50% of the children had associated diagnoses (e.g., developmental delay). Manual hyperinflation with expiratory vibration was the most common CPT treatment. Chest X-ray interpretation was available in 72% of the charts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Manual hyperinflation with expiratory vibration was used across diagnostic groups in the CCCU and PICU; its effectiveness therefore requires further study. Chest X-ray is an important clinical outcome and therefore needs to be recorded in a standardized manner to be useful for future clinical research studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCord
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Nelin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Krull
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kraiker
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Rachelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Duczeminski
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hassall
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto.
authors.forename: Jamil
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lati
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Sunita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mathur
keywords: cardiopulmonary physiotherapy; intensive care unit; pediatric