Individual research recommendation details

Recommendation ID

NG78/2

Question

Airway clearance techniques:- How effective are daily airway clearance techniques in maintaining lung function in infants and children with cystic fibrosis?

Any explanatory notes
(if applicable)

Why this is important:- There has been debate about the level of physiotherapy needed to preserve lung health since healthcare systems started diagnosing cystic fibrosis through newborn screening. Some clinical teams teach parents airway clearance techniques and recommend using them daily, but others use alternatives such as parental respiratory assessment tools with structured exercise. Routine airway clearance from diagnosis takes up a lot of time and places considerable responsibility on the
parents and carers. These techniques are also difficult to perform, particularly with an infant or young child who does not understand what is happening. It is important to find out whether daily airway clearance techniques are helping to maintain lung health or are creating an unnecessary burden on parents and carers. Future research should look at the impact on the lives of parents, family members and carers, as well as long-term clinical outcomes for infants and children with cystic fibrosis.

Source guidance details

Comes from guidance

Cystic fibrosis: diagnosis and management

Number

NG78

Date issued

October 2017

Other details