DefinePK

Abstract

The main cause of damage to lung tissue is pneumonia, a disorder marked by pulmonary inflammation or infection and brought on by a range of infectious agents. Objectives: To compare the benefits of mechanical percussions and chest physical therapy for pediatric hospital admission patients. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the General Ward of Memon Medical Institute Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. The study investigated 68 children who experienced lower respiratory tract infections and were hospitalized for an extended duration. The children ranged in age from one month to five years. The exclusion criteria encompassed patients with acute asthma, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary embolism, malignancies, rib fractures, spinal fusion, hemorrhage-prone diseases, recent neurosurgery that precluded head-down positioning, and pulmonary emboli. Participants were randomly allocated to either the experimental group or the control group. The experimental group underwent mechanical percussions during chest physiotherapy, whereas the control group received standard chest physiotherapy. The final assessments included the Modified Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument (mRDAI), the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, CONSOL ability (FLACC) scale, the Wang Clinical Severity Score (WCSS), oxygen saturation (SpO2), heart rate, and respiratory rate (RR). Evaluations were conducted both before and after the chest physical therapy session. Results: Improved FLACC ratings, a lower heart rate (p<0.05), and better scores on the mRDAI all point to notable changes in the experimental group following the intervention. Conclusions: Mechanical percussions in chest physical therapy clearly improved heart rate, the mRDAI, and the FLACC.