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Background: The International Study of Wheezing in Infants defines recurrent wheezing as the presence of three or more medically documented episodes of wheezing within one year. To date, there is no evidence on the use of hypertonic saline (HS) combined with airway clearance techniques (ACT) for children with recurrent wheezing treated in an outpatient setting. Therefore, this is the first study to explore the use of such interventions in infants with recurrent wheezing. Objectives: To evaluate the effects and safety of a three-month protocol including HS and ACT for non-hospitalized infants with recurrent wheezing. Methods: Randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, including outpatient infants with recurrent wheezing. Children were randomized to either 3% HS or 0.9% saline groups and were treated with bronchodilator and nebulized with the respective solutions before ACT. The primary outcome was the Wang score. Secondary outcomes included the number of hospitalizations and respiratory crisis, need for rescue medication, and school absences. All variables were measured during the three previous months from inclusion and during intervention period. The study protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04331496) on March, 31, 2020. Results: Forty children were included. Regarding immediate effects, significant differences ([Formula: see text]) were found for time, but not for group or interaction (group × time), in all outcome variables (increase in SpO2, decrease in heart and respiratory rate, wheezing episodes, retraction, and Wang score). Comparing the previous three months with the study period, there were significant differences in both groups for the severity of crisis ([Formula: see text]) and medication steps ([Formula: see text]). Conclusion: A three-month protocol including HS and ACT for outpatient infants with recurrent wheezing was safe and reduced morbidity. No differences were found between the use of HS and 0.9% saline.

Background: The Prolonged Slow Expiration Technique (PSE) is an airway clearance technique (ACT) carried out in newborn children with bronchial obstruction and hypersecretion to clear away the mucus from the respiratory tract. Evidence about the effect of PSE on gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is currently lacking in the literature. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of PSE on GER in infants under the age of 1 year.Methods: Infants were observed using multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring (MII-pH) over 24 h. During monitoring, the participants were treated with one 20 min intervention of PSE in supine position, 2 h after feeding. In this controlled trial with intra-subject design, the number of reflux episodes (REs) during PSE were compared to 20 min before and after PSE.Results: Fifty infants younger than 1 year were screened of whom 22 had a pathological GER. For the entire group, no significant difference was seen in the total number of REs between before, during, or after the PSE treatment (P = 0.76). No significant difference in total REs was found between the three measuring points (P = 0.59) in the group of infants with an abnormal MII-pH (n = 22).Conclusion: PSE does not cause a significant difference in REs in infants younger than 1 year.Registration number: NCT03341585.

BACKGROUND: No studies have investigated the use and safety of high-frequency chest wall compression (HFCWC) for non-hospitalized infants with acute viral bronchiolitis (AVB). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the immediate effects and safety of HFCWC as compared to airway clearance techniques in children with AVB. METHODS: In this randomized clinical trial in non-hospitalized infants (0-12 months old) with mild to moderate AVB, children were randomized into 2 groups: airway clearance techniques (20 min of prolonged slow expiration and provoked cough) or HFCWC (15 min). A single session was performed and children were evaluated at baseline and at 10 min and 20 min after treatments. Outcomes measures were the Wang severity score, SpO2, sputum wet-weight, and the presence of adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 91 infant subjects, mean age 7.9 ± 2.6 months, were included. Significant (P = .004) between-group differences were found in the Wang score, which was 0.28 points lower in the airway clearance techniques group. There was a greater increase of infants classified as normal and a greater decrease of those classified as mild according to the Wang score when airway clearance techniques were used compared to the use of HFCWC (P = .009). The sputum wetweight was lower in subjects treated with the airway clearance techniques (P < .001). Although ... improved in both groups, no differences were found between them. There was also no difference for adverse events, and the majority of children did not present any adverse events after 20 min. CONCLUSIONS: The use of HFCWC induced similar clinical effects as airway clearance techniques and was safe for non-hospitalized infants with AVB. Both techniques reduced respiratory symptoms and acutely improved .... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a condition in which the ductus arteriosus fails to close after birth. We present the case of a three-month-old female infant admitted to a tertiary care center with the complaint of cough, poor feeding, and breathing difficulties. Based on the investigatory finding, she was diagnosed with PDA with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), an atrial septal defect (ASD), coarctation of the aorta (COA), and pneumonia. In this patient, a left posterolateral thoracotomy was done to accomplish PDA ligation and coarctation repair. The outcomes of the infants were documented using the face, legs, activity, cry, consolability (FLACC) scale, and arterial blood gas analysis. The therapeutic aim specified an increase in oxygen saturation, enhanced total functional capacity, optimized respiration, cleared chest secretions, and normalized cardiovascular function. The effectiveness of the cardiorespiratory physiotherapy treatment regimen based on the patient's existing state of health is the focus of this case report. The outcome variable indicated that the patient's functional recovery was optimal., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Boob et al.)