Airway Clearance (airway + clearance)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Clinical indicators of ineffective airway clearance in children with congenital heart disease

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 5 2009
Viviane Martins Da Silva
Aims and objectives., To analyse the sensitivity and specificity of clinical indicators of ineffective airway clearance in children with congenital heart disease and to identify the indicators that have high predictive power. Background., The precise establishment of nursing diagnoses has been found to be one of the factors contributing to higher quality of care and cost reduction in healthcare institutions. The use of indicators to diagnose ineffective airway clearance could improve care of children with congenital heart disease. Design., Longitudinal study. Methods., Participants consisted of 45 children, ,1 year of age, with congenital heart disease, who had not had definitive or palliative surgical correction. Six assessments were made at 2-day intervals. Each clinical indicator was defined based on previously established operational criteria. Sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of each indicator were calculated based on a model for the longitudinal data. Results., A nursing diagnosis of ineffective airway clearance was made in 31% of patients on the first assessment, rising to 71% on the last assessment, for a 40% increase. Sensitivity was highest for Changes in Respiratory Rates/Rhythms (0·99), followed by Adventitious Breath Sounds (0·97), Sputum Production (0·85) and Restlessness (0·53). Specificity was higher for Sputum Production (0·92), followed by Restlessness (0·73), Adventitious Breath Sounds (0·70) and Changes in Respiratory Rates/Rhythms (0·17). The best positive predictive values occurred for Sputum Production (0·93) and Adventitious Breath Sounds (0·80). Conclusions., Adventitious Breath Sounds followed by Sputum Production were the indicators that had the best overall sensitivity and specificity as well as the highest positive predictive values. Relevance to clinical practice., The use of simple indicators in nursing diagnoses can improve identification of ineffective airway clearance in children with congenital heart disease, thus leading to early treatment of the problem and better care for these children. [source]


Effects of a short-term rehabilitation program on airway inflammation in children with cystic fibrosis,,

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 6 2010
Alexander Moeller MD
Abstract Background Respiratory therapy in cystic fibrosis (CF) consists of airway clearance, infection control, and reduction of airway inflammation. It is well recognized that physical activity as well as daily chest physiotherapy, enhance airway clearance. We investigated the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation, including physical activity and chest physiotherapy, on airway inflammation in children with CF. Methods Eighteen children with stable CF (six females), aged 8.2,16.2 years, participating in a 3-week multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation program were recruited. Assessment at the beginning and the end of the program included clinical score, pulmonary function test, exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and sputum analysis. Sputum supernatant and EBC were analyzed for interleukin (IL)-1b, 6, 8, 10, 12, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-,) and LTB4. Results Median (IQR) symptom scores decreased from 19 [23] to 16 [21], P,=,0.005. Vital capacity and FVC increased significantly (P,<,0.05). However no difference was found for the total sputum cells and sputum as well as EBC cytokines between the two visits. Significant correlations were found for sputum IL-1 (+), IL-6 (,), and IL-8 (+) to total sputum cell count and neutrophils and for IL-8 to TNF-,. Conclusions We have shown that a short-term inpatient rehabilitation for children with stable CF with intensive physical activity mainly improve subjective clinical symptoms and measures of lung function such as VC and FVC but does not influence airflow obstruction and airway inflammation as assessed by sputum and EBC analysis. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2010; 45:541,551. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Use of intrapulmonary percussive ventilation (IPV) in the management of pulmonary complications of an infant with osteogenesis imperfecta

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 11 2009
Gustavo Nino MD
Abstract Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder characterized by abnormal collagen formation and short stature. These patients present with frequent vertebral, rib, and long bone fractures. There are many respiratory complications associated with OI including pneumonia, the most common cause of mortality in the severe forms of the disease. We present a case of an infant with OI (type III/IV) and significant tracheobronchomalacia who had required multiple hospitalizations for recurrent atelectasis and respiratory failure in the setting of acute respiratory infections. External chest percussion and vibration were avoided because of the risk of rib fractures. intrapulmonary percussive ventilation (IPV) was initiated during an acute illness with good effect, and continued successfully after discharge from hospital. We conclude that IPV represents a safe and effective alternative to airway clearance in infants with OI. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2009; 44:1151,1154. ©2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


The Timing of rhDNase in relation to airway clearance therapy-unplugged

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 12 2007
Esta-Lee Tannenbaum BSc (Physio), MSc (Physio)
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Increased nitric oxide production in nasal epithelial cells from allergic patients , RT-PCR analysis and direct imaging by a fluorescence indicator: DAF-2 DA*

CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, Issue 6 2001
S. Takeno
Background Nitric oxide (NO) is believed to participate in the regulation of airway clearance and non-specific cellular immunity. Recent studies have suggested that airway epithelial cells of allergic and non-allergic individuals may differ in their ability to produce this molecule. Objective The aim of this study was to detect the difference in NO production in human nasal epithelial cells between normal subjects and patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (AR), and to assess the relationship between the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms and the severity of the disease. Methods Nasal epithelial cells were obtained from the inferior turbinate. The expression of mRNAs encoding constitutive endothelial NOS (eNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) was studied by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Direct NO production in living cells was visualized and quantified by a fluorescent indicator, DAF-2 DA. Results RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that AR patients with a RAST score of 5 or 6 showed significant increases in the levels of iNOS mRNA and slight reductions in those of eNOS mRNA. Patients with a RAST score of 2,4 also revealed the same tendency however, the difference was not significant. DAF-2 DA imaging demonstrated that epithelial cells, especially the ciliated cells, produced a larger amount of NO than non-epithelial inflammatory cells. Preincubation with L-NAME resulted in an approximate 40% decrease in both groups. Conclusion These results directly indicate that nasal epithelial cells of AR patients overall produce higher levels of NO through the concomitant expression of different NOS isoforms. Continuous NO production by the epithelial cells in normal subjects further support the hypothesis that NO derived from epithelium may play dual roles in the regulation of nasal airway clearance and in the host defense. In addition, the use of DAF-2 DA provides a reliable method to visualize and quantify the direct NO production of living cells. [source]