Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2025

Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling
Published on: February 5, 2019
The Use of Evaluation Methods for Physiotherapy Treatment in Infants With Bronchiolitis-a Survey Study
Sonja Andersson Marforio1,2, Eva Ekvall Hansson1, Annika Lundkvist Josenby1,2
1Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Aims:
The aim of this study was to identify and describe methods that physiotherapists use to evaluate the immediate effects of their interventions for infants in hospital with acute respiratory tract infections.
Methods:
We constructed an anonymous digital survey to physiotherapists working with infants aged 0-24 months in Sweden. The survey was distributed by e-mail and posted on web pages for seven weeks, which included a reminder.
Results:
Replies were obtained from 88 respondents, and 52 completed surveys remained to be analyzed. All 21 counties in Sweden were represented. The most prevalent answer options were as follows: more productive/increased or decreased cough (73%), increased oxygen saturation (35%), changed secretion sounds (33%), reduced work of breathing (20%), and parental report (16%).
Conclusions:
The physiotherapists reported to use diverse methods for evaluation of their interventions. However, to a large degree they used subjective measures, which depend on the individual clinician's assessment and interpretation. The evaluation methods vary in psychometric properties and robustness. This study identifies the need for consensus about valid, reliable, and clinically relevant evaluation methods for this patient group.
Related Concept Videos
Chest Physiotherapy
Purpose
CPT is primarily used for patients with excessive bronchial secretions who have difficulty clearing...
Assessment of Respiration
Subjective Assessment: Nurses interview the patient to gather information directly during the subjective assessment. It includes questions about the individual's medical history, medications, and symptoms, focusing on past respiratory conditions like...
Physical Assessment of the Respiratory Tract II: Inspection
Chest Configuration
The chest configuration...
Physical Assessment of the Respiratory Tract I: Health History
Subjective Data
Subjective data provides vital information about the patient's health history and symptoms. This data is typically collected through interviews in which patients describe their experiences, symptoms, and concerns.
Health history and...
Assessment of Airway, Skin Color, and Use of Accessory Muscles
Introduction
The initial evaluation of a patient's respiratory system...
Physical Assessment of the Respiratory Tract II: Palpation
Thoracic Palpation
Thoracic palpation detects tenderness, masses, lesions, respiratory excursions, and vocal fremitus. The nurse assesses...

