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Editorial
. 2021 Winter;73(1):6-18.
doi: 10.3138/ptc-2019-0025.

Efficacy of Respiratory Physiotherapy Interventions for Intubated and Mechanically Ventilated Adults with Pneumonia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Lisa van der Lee  1   2 , Anne-Marie Hill  3 , Angela Jacques  3   4 , Shane Patman  2
Affiliations
Editorial

Efficacy of Respiratory Physiotherapy Interventions for Intubated and Mechanically Ventilated Adults with Pneumonia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Lisa van der Lee et al. Physiother Can. 2021 Winter.

Abstract
in English, French

Purpose: A systematic review was conducted to investigate the effect of respiratory physiotherapy on mortality, quality of life, functional recovery, intensive care length of stay, duration of ventilation, oxygenation, secretion clearance, and pulmonary mechanics for invasively ventilated adults with pneumonia. Method: Five databases were searched for randomized trials published between January 1995 and November 2018. Study quality was assessed using a standardized Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool, and Review Manager software was used to pool the studies. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to evaluate the level of certainty of the evidence. Results: A total of 14 studies of moderate quality included 251 subjects with pneumonia. Eight studies were pooled for meta-analysis. Interventions that increased inspiratory volume appeared to benefit secretion clearance by nearly 2 grams (mean difference [MD] 1.97; 95% CI: 0.80, 3.14; very low GRADE evidence) and increase static lung compliance immediately after treatment by more than 5 millilitres/centimetre H20 (MD 5.40 mL/cm H2O; 95% CI: 2.37, 8.43; very low GRADE evidence) or by more than 6 millilitres/centimetre H2O after a 20- to 30-minute delay (MD 6.86 mL/cm H2O; 95% CI: 2.86, 10.86; very low GRADE evidence). No adverse events were found. Conclusions: Respiratory physiotherapy that increases tidal volume may benefit secretion clearance and lung compliance in invasively ventilated adults with pneumonia, but its impact on other outcomes, including mortality, length of stay, and other patient-centred outcomes, is unclear, and further research is required.

Objectif : analyse systématique pour explorer l’effet de la physiothérapie respiratoire sur la mortalité, la qualité de vie, le rétablissement fonctionnel, la durée de séjour en soins intensifs, la durée de la ventilation, l’oxygénation, la clairance des sécrétions et la mécanique pulmonaire d’adultes atteints de pneumonie sous assistance respiratoire invasive. Méthodologie : recherche dans cinq bases de données pour en extraire les études aléatoires publiées entre janvier 1995 et novembre 2018. Les chercheurs ont évalué la qualité des études à l’aide de l’outil d’évaluation critique standardisé du Joanna Briggs Institute et ont utilisé le logiciel Review Manager pour regrouper les études. Ils ont utilisé la méthode GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) pour évaluer le degré de certitude des données probantes. Résultats : au total, 14 études de qualité modérée incluaient 251 sujets atteints de pneumonie. Les chercheurs ont regroupé huit études en vue de la méta-analyse. Les interventions qui améliorent le volume inspiratoire semblaient accroître la clairance des sécrétions de près de 2 g (différence moyenne [DM] 1,97; IC à 95 % : 0,80, 3,14; données probantes GRADE très basses) et la compliance pulmonaire statique immédiatement après le traitement de plus de 5 millilitres par centimètre d’eau (DM 5,40 mL/cm d’eau; IC à 95 % : 2,37, 8,43; données probantes GRADE très basses) ou de plus de 6 millilitres par centimètre d’eau après une période de 20 à 30 minutes (DM 6,86 mL/cm d’eau; IC à 95 % : 2,86, 10,86; données probantes GRADE très basses). Aucun événement indésirable n’a été trouvé. Conclusion : la physiothérapie respiratoire qui accroît le volume courant peut contribuer à la clairance des sécrétions et à la compliance pulmonaire chez les adultes atteints de pneumonie sous assistance respiratoire invasive, mais ses effets sur d’autres résultats cliniques, comme la mortalité, la durée d’hospitalisation et d’autres résultats axés sur le patient ne sont pas clairement établis. D’autres recherches s’imposent.

Keywords: critical care; physical therapy modalities; pneumonia; respiratory therapy; systematic review.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of search results and study selection.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Overall risk of bias of included studies.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Risk of bias of individual studies.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forest plot of the overall effect of respiratory physiotherapy, compared with the control group, on sputum wet weight.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Forest plot of overall effect of respiratory physiotherapy, compared with the control group, on static lung compliance immediately after intervention.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Forest plot of overall effect of respiratory physiotherapy, compared with the control group, on static lung compliance 20–30 min after intervention.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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