Respiratory Rehabilitation in Acute bronchiolitis

Abstract

Acute bronchiolitis is the most frequent lower respiratory tract infection in the newbom. Sincicial respiratory virus is the most common agent. Almost 30% of the children with less than 2 years old will have at last one episode of brochiolitis in life. In the northern hemisphere, the highest incidence occurs between December and March. It’s characterized by acute inflammation, oedema and necrosis of the epithelial cells lining small airways, increased mucus production and bronchospasm.

Most infants and young children experience only a mild form of bronchiolitis, and can be managed on an outpatient basis. However, bronchiolitis-associated hospitalizations have increased significantly during the last decades. The treatment includes bronchodilators, corticosteroids, antiviral therapy, antibiotics and supplemental oxygen.

Chest physiotherapy, widely used in French and Latin countries, is almost forbidden in the Anglo-saxonic countries which creates a great controversy in the literature. The conflicting evidence from poorly designed studies and the use of different techniques can justify these different points of view.
From the data collected for this study the authors concluded that chest physiotherapy using vibration and percussion techniques doesn’t have a clinical benefit nor a good impact on the course of the illness. Treatment modalities using forced expiratory techniques/ and slow expiratory flow increase can be a good help in certain clinical status. Prospective randomised trials with large patient populations are needed to prove the risk-benefit of chest physiotherapy in this condition.