Impact of regular chest percussion on outcome measures for infants with pneumonia

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of regular chest percussion on outcome measures for infants with pneumonia.

Methods: A two-group pre-post quasi-experimental design was conducted in the Pediatrics Medical Unit at Abu Elrish Children’s Hospital, Cairo University. The experiment involved 100 infants fifty (control group) followed the hospital routine care and other fifty applied regular chest percussion (intervention group). Chest condition was assessed subjectively and objectively throughout five days before and after the regular chest percussion using Pediatrics Respiratory Severity Scales. Physiological measurements of infant’s respiratory rate, heart rate, and temperature and oxygen saturation were assessed. All research ethics were applied.

Results: The mean of Pediatric Respiratory Severity Score (PRSS), temperature, respiration, heart rate and oxygen saturation among infants was statistically improved throughout the intervention days than the control group 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th days post the regular chest percussion at a significance level as p < .05.

Conclusions: The regular chest percussion had a significant improvement in the respiratory health conditions for infants with bacterial pneumonia. This study recommends regular chest percussion that should be applied in medicine and intensive care units. Further researches must be done to add more evidence -based practices regarding the effect of chest percussion for children with pneumonia.