Background: One of the difficulties in comparing the numerous studies on manual chest therapy (MCT) is the wide variety of techniques used and terms employed to describe the intervention. This lack of consistency in therapeutic approach and the absence of defined tools for evaluation have led to a continued air of skepticism about its true value. This paper presents a treatment protocol used in a large randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy and cost effectiveness of MCT for patients hospitalized with exacerbations of COPD.

Methods: Consensus development meetings with key physical therapists were held to identify the essential elements of MCT, address potential areas of ambiguity, and provide a set of clear parameters within which treatment would be based and recorded. This iterative approach resulted in a treatment protocol that combined best clinical practice with the research evidence available to date.

Results: In the Management of Exacerbations of COPD (MATREX) trial, 658 sessions of MCT were delivered by physical therapists over a 3 year period. A high level of adherence to the treatment protocol was seen for all but one of the protocol elements.

Conclusions: With respect to the essential elements of MCT, the treatment protocol used in the MATREX trial offers sufficient flexibility to the therapist, while being robust enough to maintain clinical trial integrity. The level of adherence by therapists indicates its professional acceptability with respect to delivering and evaluating this therapy.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.4187/respcare.01312DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

treatment protocol
20
manual chest
8
chest therapy
8
physical therapists
8
essential elements
8
elements mct
8
matrex trial
8
level adherence
8
treatment
6
protocol
6

Similar Publications

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the clinicopathologic features of primary fallopian tubal carcinoma (PFTC) and high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and explore the prognostic factors of these two malignant tumors.

Methods: Fifty-seven patients diagnosed with PFTC from 2006 to 2015 and 60 patients diagnosed with HGSOC from 2014 to 2015 with complete prognostic information were identified at Women's Hospital of Zhejiang University. The clinicopathological and surgical data were collected, and the survival of the patients was followed for 5 years after surgery.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: De-intensification of anti-cancer therapy without significantly affecting outcomes is an important goal. Omission of axillary surgery or breast radiation is considered a reasonable option in elderly patients with early-stage breast cancer and good prognostic factors. Data on avoidance of both axillary surgery and radiation therapy (RT) is scarce and inconclusive.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is the most common neurological adverse event among elderly patients undergoing surgery. POD is associated with an increased risk for postoperative complications, long-term cognitive decline, an increase in morbidity and mortality as well as extended hospital stays. Delirium prevention and treatment options are currently limited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of an ACT and compassion-based intervention for women with breast cancer: study protocol of two randomised controlled trials {1}.

Trials

January 2025

Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.

Background: Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and carries a considerable psychosocial burden. Interventions based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and compassion-based approaches show promise in improving adjustment and quality of life in people with cancer. The Mind programme is an integrative ACT and compassion-based intervention tailored for women with breast cancer, which aims to prepare women for survivorship by promoting psychological flexibility and self-compassion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Evaluation of an enhanced ResNet-18 classification model for rapid On-site diagnosis in respiratory cytology.

BMC Cancer

January 2025

Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China.

Objective: Rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) of respiratory cytology specimens is a critical technique for accurate and timely diagnosis of lung cancer. However, in China, limited familiarity with the Diff-Quik staining method and a shortage of trained cytopathologists hamper utilization of ROSE. Therefore, developing an improved deep learning model to assist clinicians in promptly and accurately evaluating Diff-Quik stained cytology samples during ROSE has important clinical value.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!