Respiratory physiotherapy and intensive care
Grant recipient: Shane Patman, FACP
Project title: The effect of physiotherapy on the prevention and treatment of nosocomial pneumonia for intensive care patients with acquired brain injury
Year awarded: 2001
PRF grant: Seeding Grant
Snapshot: The Seeding Grant funding supported Shane’s PhD project, a randomised control trial of 144 subjects in intensive care following an acute brain injury.
Results: The results showed that regular respiratory physiotherapy (in addition to routine medical care) did not prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia or reduce the length of mechanical ventilation or intensive care unit stay.
The next steps: Due to small numbers, it was not possible to draw any conclusions as to whether or not respiratory physiotherapy hastened recovery from ventilator-associated pneumonia. Further research is required to determine this.