Clinical Research Directory

Respiratory Physiotherapy and Hospitalization in Infants With Bronchiolitis

Acute Viral Bronchiolitis (AVB) is one of the leading causes of respiratory illness and hospitalization among infants during the first year of life, generating a substantial burden on healthcare services and public health expenditures. Despite the widespread use of respiratory physiotherapy in clinical practice, there is limited evidence regarding its effectiveness in preventing hospital admissions when provided in an outpatient setting. This quasi-experimental study aims to evaluate the impact of an outpatient respiratory physiotherapy protocol on hospitalization rates among infants up to 12 months of age diagnosed with mild to moderate acute viral bronchiolitis in the public healthcare system of Sorocaba, Brazil. Infants referred for respiratory physiotherapy will be compared with a similar group of infants who receive standard medical care without physiotherapy referral. The physiotherapy protocol includes slow expiratory techniques, rhinopharyngeal retrograde clearance, cough stimulation, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) when clinically indicated. Participants will be followed through medical records and telephone monitoring. The primary outcome is hospital admission due to bronchiolitis. Secondary outcomes include length of hospital stay, healthcare costs, and clinical evolution. The findings may provide evidence on whether outpatient respiratory physiotherapy can reduce hospitalizations and optimize healthcare resource utilization in infants with acute viral bronchiolitis.

Prone Position in Acute Bronchiolitis

Acute viral bronchiolitis is the leading cause of community-acquired acute respiratory failure in developed countries (20 000 to 30 000 hospitalizations each year in France). Between 5% and 22% of these children are hospitalized in a critical care unit to benefit from a respiratory support. Non-invasive ventilation, in particular the nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (nCPAP), reduces the work of breathing in children with bronchiolitis and is associated with decreased morbidity and hospitalization costs compared with invasive ventilation. Nowadays, this technique is considered as the gold standard in the pediatric intensive care units (PICU) in France. High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) has been proposed as an alternative to the nCPAP because of its better tolerance and simplicity of implementation. However, the proportion of failure remains high (35 to 50%), providing only a partial response to the care of these children, especially prior to the PICU. In a physiological study (NCT02602678, article published), it has been demonstrated that prone position (PP) decrease, by almost 50%, the respiratory work of breathing and improve the respiratory mechanics in infants hospitalized in intensive care units for bronchiolitis. Investigators hypothesize that prone position, during High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC), would significantly reduce the use of non-invasive ventilation (nCPAP and others) or invasive ventilation, as compared to supine position during HFNC, in infants with moderate to severe viral bronchiolitis.