[Respiratory physiotherapy in acute viral bronchiolitis in the newborn. Pro/con arguments]

Abstract

This article reports an exchange of unbiased arguments between Mr Guy Postiaux speaking in favour of respiratory physiotherapy in acute viral bronchiolitis in the newborn and Prof. Jean-Christoph Dubus arguing against. A review of the literature suggests that traditional methods of physiotherapy should be abandoned because they are not validated and because they have harmful side effects. The latest Cochrane revue (2016) suggests the use of slow expiration techniques that have some validated elements and cause no harmful side effects. Large multicentre studies should be undertaken to confirm or refute the results of the five studies in the Cochrane review. Their analysis would allow extraction of objective evidence for the efficacy of slow expiration techniques on the relief of bronchopulmonary obstruction and the reduction of the degree of severity in the short and medium term. Studies of the effect of ambulatory respiratory physiotherapy for bronchiolitis of a moderate degree not requiring hospitalisation are not available. An evaluation is needed which is based on the pathophysiology of multifactorial bronchial obstruction and on the physical signs, of which auscultation is the cornerstone.

Keywords: Bronchiolite; Bronchiolitis; Kinésithérapie respiratoire; Newborn; Nourrisson; Respiratory physiotherapy.