Email this article 
Hide
Show all
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
Full Text:
PDF (212KB)Abstract
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.
Keywords
Metrics
Total abstract views: 2250Total article views: 1070
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
2. Fisioterapia respiratoria en la unidad de cuidados intensivos: Revisión bibliográfica
R. Goñi-Viguria, E. Yoldi-Arzoz, L. Casajús-Sola, T. Aquerreta-Larraya, P. Fernández-Sangil, E. Guzmán-Unamuno, B.M. Moyano-Berardo
Enfermería Intensiva vol: 29 issue: 4 first page: 168 year: 2018
doi: 10.1016/j.enfi.2018.03.003
3. Physical Therapy Management for Adult Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Canadian Practice Survey
Tom J. Overend, Cathy M. Anderson, Jennifer Jackson, S. Deborah Lucy, Monique Prendergast, Susanne Sinclair
Physiotherapy Canada vol: 62 issue: 3 first page: 215 year: 2010
doi: 10.3138/physio.62.3.215
4. Nonpharmacologic Airway Clearance Techniques in Hospitalized Patients: A Systematic Review
Jeff Andrews, Nila A Sathe, Shanthi Krishnaswami, Melissa L McPheeters
Respiratory Care vol: 58 issue: 12 first page: 2160 year: 2013
doi: 10.4187/respcare.02704
5. The physiotherapy management of patients undergoing thoracic surgery: a survey of current practice in Australia and New Zealand
Julie Reeve, Linda Denehy, Kathy Stiller
Physiotherapy Research International vol: 12 issue: 2 first page: 59 year: 2007
doi: 10.1002/pri.354
6. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for adults after heart valve surgery
Lizette N. Abraham, Kirstine L Sibilitz, Selina K Berg, Lars H Tang, Signe S Risom, Jane Lindschou, Rod S Taylor, Britt Borregaard, Ann-Dorthe Zwisler
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews vol: 2021 issue: 5 year: 2021
doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010876.pub3
7. Does physiotherapy reduce the incidence of postoperative complications in patients following pulmonary resection via thoracotomy? a protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Julie C Reeve, Kristine Nicol, Kathy Stiller, Kathryn M McPherson, Linda Denehy
Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery vol: 3 issue: 1 year: 2008
doi: 10.1186/1749-8090-3-48
8. Respiratory physiotherapy in intensive care unit: Bibliographic review
R. Goñi-Viguria, E. Yoldi-Arzoz, L. Casajús-Sola, T. Aquerreta-Larraya, P. Fernández-Sangil, E. Guzmán-Unamuno, B.M. Moyano-Berardo
Enfermería Intensiva (English ed.) vol: 29 issue: 4 first page: 168 year: 2018
doi: 10.1016/j.enfie.2018.03.002
9. Prophylactic respiratory physiotherapy after cardiac surgery: systematic review
Patrick Pasquina, Bernhard Walder
BMJ vol: 327 issue: 7428 first page: 1379 year: 2003
doi: 10.1136/bmj.327.7428.1379
10. AARC Clinical Practice Guideline: Effectiveness of Nonpharmacologic Airway Clearance Therapies in Hospitalized Patients
Shawna L Strickland, Bruce K Rubin, Gail S Drescher, Carl F Haas, Catherine A O'Malley, Teresa A Volsko, Richard D Branson, Dean R Hess
Respiratory Care vol: 58 issue: 12 first page: 2187 year: 2013
doi: 10.4187/respcare.02925