Respiratory exacerbations in children with cystic fibrosis: physiotherapy treatment outcomes.

Treatment efficacy is crucial in cystic fibrosis (CF) as it impacts directly upon life expectancy, with its evaluation contributing to the evidence base for physiotherapy practice. This study assesses whether respiratory outcomes changed at the Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane (RCH) over a period when physiotherapy airways clearance techniques altered All 1998 and 2000 admissions of children over two years of age to RCH for CF related respiratory exacerbations were included, totalling 248 admissions, 125 in 1998 and 123 in 2000. Data for respiratory effort, cough quality, sputum volume/weight, sputum colour and sputum stickiness were analysed. Respiratory function test (RFT) results included: forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory flow (FEF25-75%) and % of predicted values. Repeated measures ANOVA and appropriate post hoc tests evaluated changes occurring during the admissions. Independent-samples t-tests allowed comparison of the improvement in the two years. During hospital admission in both 1998 and 2000, a significant improvement in RFT results occurred. Similar improvements in 1998 and 2000 suggested no change in treatment efficacy had occurred. Significant changes during hospitalisation, in cough quality, sputum volume/weight, and sputum colour suggest that these variables are appropriate and simple physiotherapy outcome measures.