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Respiratory Physiotherapy and Hospitalization in Infants With Bronchiolitis

NCT07682844 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 1000

Last updated 2026-07-06

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Acute Viral Bronchiolitis (AVB) is one of the leading causes of respiratory illness and hospitalization among infants during the first year of life, generating a substantial burden on healthcare services and public health expenditures. Despite the widespread use of respiratory physiotherapy in clinical practice, there is limited evidence regarding its effectiveness in preventing hospital admissions when provided in an outpatient setting.

This quasi-experimental study aims to evaluate the impact of an outpatient respiratory physiotherapy protocol on hospitalization rates among infants up to 12 months of age diagnosed with mild to moderate acute viral bronchiolitis in the public healthcare system of Sorocaba, Brazil. Infants referred for respiratory physiotherapy will be compared with a similar group of infants who receive standard medical care without physiotherapy referral.

The physiotherapy protocol includes slow expiratory techniques, rhinopharyngeal retrograde clearance, cough stimulation, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) when clinically indicated. Participants will be followed through medical records and telephone monitoring.

The primary outcome is hospital admission due to bronchiolitis. Secondary outcomes include length of hospital stay, healthcare costs, and clinical evolution. The findings may provide evidence on whether outpatient respiratory physiotherapy can reduce hospitalizations and optimize healthcare resource utilization in infants with acute viral bronchiolitis.

Conditions

  • Acute Viral Bronchiolitis

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Outpatient Respiratory Physiotherapy

Participants will receive an outpatient respiratory physiotherapy protocol for the management of mild to moderate acute viral bronchiolitis. The intervention may include Prolonged Slow Expiration, Slow Expiratory Flow Increase, Rhinopharyngeal Retrograde Clearance, cough stimulation, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) when clinically indicated. Treatment will be individualized according to the infant's clinical condition, respiratory assessment findings, and bronchiolitis severity as determined by the Wang Bronchiolitis Severity Score. Sessions will be performed by trained physiotherapists and repeated as necessary based on clinical progression until discharge from physiotherapy follow-up.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Sao Paulo

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Fredi Alexander D Quijano, PhD · School of Public Health, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Max Age
12 Months
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-07-31
Primary Completion
2027-07-31
Completion
2027-12-31

Countries

  • Brazil

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07682844 on ClinicalTrials.gov