Effect of lung expansion devices in pediatric with pulmonary atelectasis

Abstract

Background : Pulmonary Atelectasis refers toincomplete expansion of the lung. Most of it occurs in children who are younger than 10 years old. The mechanism of pulmonary atelectasis is resorptive atelectasis, compressive atelectasis from inside and outside trachea or adhesive atelectasis. In addition, disease that make pulmonary atelectasis found easily in children are including asthma, bronchiolitis, tuberculosis and foreign body aspiration. The treatment is depend on mechanism, cause, duration, and severity of disease. Chest physiotherapy is basic technique which has importance for a long time. But the problem is children; they have condition of age, ability, and cooperation. Not only using chest physiotherapy, but also using lung expansion device with them. The device is including EzPAP, PEP mask, and SMI. 

Objective : to study effect of lung expansion devices in children with pulmonary atelectasis

Material and  Methods : A retrospective descriptive analysis of the medical record of pediatric patient 1month old to 15 year old with pulmonary atelectasis and used lung expansion devices such as EzPAP, PAP mask and SMI. The study performed in Pediatric department of Maharaj Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital during 1^st June 2014 to 31^st October 2016.

Results : 54 pediatric patient with pulmonary atelectasis and reports lung expansion devices including boys 78% and girls 22%. The youngest patient is 1 month old and the oldest patient is 14 years old. From the report, most of their age is less than 1 year old and the main cause of pulmonary atelectasis for them is pneumonia. After using the device, patients are getting better 96.3% from all of them. The average time to treatment is 6.5 days, the shortest time is 1 day and the longest time is 23 days. Only 2 children (3.7% from all of the patients) still have disease. One of them has foreign body aspiration, so remove foreign body was done. The other one has chronic lung condition and delayed development.

Conclusion : lung expansion devices can use to treat in children with pulmonary atelectasis. May be consider with basic chest physiotherapy.

Keywords : pulmonary atelectasis, lung expansion devices