Chest physiotherapy in infants with cystic fibrosis: To tip or not? A five-year study

Abstract

There is controversy about the need for postural drainage physiotherapy in asymptomatic infants with cystic fibrosis (CF). We aimed to compare the effectiveness of standard postural drainage chest physiotherapy (SPT) with a modified physiotherapy regimen without headdown tilt (MPT) in young infants with CF. Twenty newly diagnosed infants with CF (mean age, 2.1 months; range, 1-4) were randomized to SPT or MPT. Parents kept a detailed symptom and treatment diary for the following 12 months. Serial chest radiographs, taken at diagnosis, 12 months, 21/2 years, and 5 years after diagnosis, were assessed using the Brasfield score. Pulmonary function tests were compared between groups after 5 year..