Original Research
The role of prophylactic chest physiotherapy after cardiac valvular surgery: Is there one ?
Submitted: 10 September 2018 | Published: 31 August 2000
About the author(s)
S. B. de Charmoy, Department of Physiotherapy, University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaC. J. Eales, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
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A study was conducted to investigate whether there is a role for prophylactic chest physiotherapy in preventing pulmonary complications in-patients undergoing uncomplicated cardiac valvular surgery. 'Thirty patients were randomly divided into two groups. The patients in group I (n = 14) received instructions that they should cough after their operation and that they should get out of bed on the second post-operative day. The patients in group 2 (n = 16) were seen pre-operatively and treated post-operatively by a physiotherapist. The treatment consisted of breathing exercises, supported coughing and assistance with walking from the second post-operative day. These patients were seen twice daily on the first and second post-operative days and once daily on the third and fourth post-operative days. No patients in either group developed a pulmonary complication during their post-operative hospital stay. The incidence of hypoxaemia, chest X-ray abnormalities and length of post-operative stay were not significantly higher for the control group. The findings of this study suggest that the role of prophylactic chest physiotherapy following cardiac valvular surgery is questionable.
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Crossref Citations
1. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for adults after heart valve surgery
Kirstine L Sibilitz, Selina K Berg, Lars H Tang, Signe S Risom, Christian Gluud, Jane Lindschou, Lars Kober, Christian Hassager, Rod S Taylor, Ann-Dorthe Zwisler
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews year: 2016
doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010876.pub2