Chest physical therapy in acute viral bronchiolitis: an updated review.

We describe the various therapies for infant acute viral bronchiolitis and the contradictory results obtained with chest physical therapy. The treatment target is bronchial obstruction, which is a multifactorial phenomenon that includes edema, bronchoconstriction, and increased mucus production, with a clinical grading defined as severe, moderate, or mild. Chest physical therapy is revisited in its various modalities, according to preliminary scoring of the disease.