Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2007 Oct;52(10):1382-90; discussion 1390-1.

Airway clearance applications in infants and children

Affiliations
  • PMID: 17894905
Review

Airway clearance applications in infants and children

Michael S Schechter. Respir Care. 2007 Oct.

Abstract

The rationale for airway clearance therapy and basic principles of its application are identical for children and adults, but there are important differences in physiology (regarding airway mucus characteristics and airway mechanics) and pathological processes in children, as well as other considerations unique to the pediatric population. The major obstacle in reviewing the evidence for efficacy of airway clearance therapy in pediatrics is the lack of data from well-performed, adequately powered clinical trials. This problem is partially alleviated by the use of published meta-analyses. A review of pediatric studies suggests that airway clearance therapy is of clear and proven benefit in the routine care of cystic fibrosis, and that no specific airway-clearance technique is clearly superior, but for any individual patient the technique that is most likely to maximize patient adherence to treatment is preferred. Airway clearance therapy appears likely to be of benefit in the routine care of children with neuromuscular disease and cerebral palsy, and is probably of benefit in treating atelectasis in children on mechanical ventilation. Airway clearance therapy may be of benefit in preventing post-extubation atelectasis in neonates. Airway clearance therapy appears to be of minimal to no benefit in the treatment of children with acute asthma, bronchiolitis, hyaline membrane disease, and those on mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure in the pediatric intensive care unit, and it is not effective in preventing atelectasis in children immediately following surgery. All in all, however, given that these conclusions are based on very little data, future well-performed clinical trials might change the weight of evidence to contradict these current conclusions.

PubMed Disclaimer