A survey of the physiotherapy treatment methods for infants hospitalised with acute airway infections in Sweden

Figures & data

Figure 1 Flow chart of the submitted forms in the study.

Table 1. Background information of the respondents. n = 88.

	n	%
Gender
Woman	84	95.5%
Working place^a
Local hospital	42	47.7%
County hospital	32	36.4%
Treated target group, last 2 years
1–6 times	10	11.3%
>6 times	42	47.7%
Never	36	40.9%
Graduation country
Sweden	83	94.3%
Other Scandinavian	1	1.1%
Outside Scandinavia	4	4.5%
Years graduated^b
Median: 17
Min–Max 1–49

^a n = 74.

^b n = 87.

Table 2. Treatment methods used by the Swedish physiotherapists for infants hospitalised with breathing difficulties, listed in frequency order.

Treatment	Most preferreda method, N (%)	Listedb method, N (%)	Typec
Bouncing on a big ball	25 (48.1)	49 (94.2)	a
Change of positions in arms	22 (42.3)	48 (92.3)	a
Physical activity	21 (40.4)	45 (86.5)	a
Passive arm movements	18 (34.6)	50 (96.2)	a
Passive leg movements	18 (34.6)	37 (71.2)	a
Information to parents	18 (34.6)	52 (100.0)	–
Change of positions in bed	14 (26.9)	46 (88.5)	a
Alternating inhalations with other methods	14 (26.9)	32 (61.5)	–
PEP	7 (13.5)	29 (55.8)	p
Resting position	5 (9.6)	28 (53.8)	p
Light chest compressions	4 (7.7)	26 (50.0)	p
Improving inhalation technique	3 (5.8)	23 (44.2)	p
Cough support, chest or abdomen	2 (3.8)	28 (53.8)	p
CPAP	1 (1.9)	16 (30.8)	p
Manual vibrations	1 (1.9)	11 (21.2)	p
Postural drainage	1 (1.9)	7 (13.5)	p
Prolonged slow expiration technique, PSET	0 (0)	2 (3.8)	p
Advice to health care providers	0 (0)	33 (63.5)	–
BilevelPAP	0 (0)	8 (15.4)	p
Hi Nasal Flow	0 (0)	11 (21.2)	p
Mechanical insufflation-exsufflation	0 (0)	11 (21.2)	p
Percussions on the chest	0 (0)	5 (9.6)	p
Induced/Provoked cough	0 (0)	2 (3.8)	p
Other treatment	0 (0)	2 (3.8)	–

^a Each respondent reported their three most commonly used methods.

^b Each respondent selected treatment options without limitations in numbers.

^c a = active treatment; p = passive treatment; – = neither active or passive.

Respondents n = 52.

Figure 2. Examples of movements on the big ball used by physiotherapists in Sweden.

Table 3. Description of the most preferred treatment methods with regard to respondent properties.

		Years since graduation		Type of hospital		Frequency treating infants
	In total sample	0–10 years (Recent)	11–49 years (Later)	Local hospital	County hospital	1–6 times	>6 times
Active only	32 (61.5%)	7	24	18	13	7	25
Mixed	20 (38.5%)	6	14	12	8	3	17
Passive only	0 (00.0%)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sum	52	13	38	30	21	10	42
Missing information	0 (00.0%)	1		1
p-value		0.553		0.891		0.472

Respondents n = 52.