Randomized trial of physiotherapy and hypertonic saline techniques for sputum induction in asthmatic children and adolescents.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the efficiency of physiotherapy techniques in sputum induction and in the evaluation of pulmonary inflammation in asthmatic children and adolescents. Although hypertonic saline (HS) is widely used for sputum induction (SI), specific techniques and maneuvers of physiotherapy (P) may facilitate the collection of mucus in some asthmatic children and adolescents.

Methods: A randomized crossover study was performed in patients with well-controlled asthma, and 90 sputum samples were collected.