%0 Journal Article %T Lung volume recruitment and airway clearance for children at home in France. %A Khirani S %A Griffon L %A Thébault C %A Aubertin G %A Dupont P %A Mbieleu B %A Galodé F %A Canavesio C %A Fleurence E %A Labouret G %A Cros P %A Barzic A %A Lubrano Lavadera M %A Giovannini-Chami L %A Gilardoni JM %A Gourdan P %A Moreau J %A Matecki S %A Zitvogel F %A Durand M %A Perisson C %A Le Clainche L %A Taytard J %A Fauroux B %A %J Respir Med %V 231 %N 0 %D 2024 Sep 29 %M 38950683 %F 4.582 %R 10.1016/j.rmed.2024.107726 %X BACKGROUND: Airway clearance (ACT) and lung volume recruitment (LVR) techniques are used to manage bronchial secretions, increase cough efficiency and lung/chest wall recruitment, to prevent and treat respiratory tract infections. The aim of the study was to review the prescription of ACT/LVR techniques for home use in children in France.
METHODS: All the centers of the national pediatric noninvasive ventilation (NIV) network were invited to fill in an anonymous questionnaire for every child aged ≤20 years who started a treatment with an ACT/LVR device between 2022 and 2023. The devices comprised mechanical in-exsufflation (MI-E), intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB), intrapulmonary percussive ventilation (IPV), and/or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV)/NIV for ACT/LVR.
RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-nine patients were included by 13 centers. IPPB was started in 83 (60 %) patients, MI-E in 43 (31 %) and IPV in 30 (22 %). No patient used IMV/NIV for ACT/LVR. The devices were prescribed mainly by pediatric pulmonologists (103, 74 %). Mean age at initiation was 8.9 ± 5.6 (0.4-18.5) years old. The ACT/LVR devices were prescribed mainly in patients with neuromuscular disorders (n = 66, 47 %) and neurodisability (n = 37, 27 %). The main initiation criteria were cough assistance (81 %) and airway clearance (60 %) for MI-E, thoracic mobilization (63 %) and vital capacity (47 %) for IPPB, and airway clearance (73 %) and repeated respiratory exacerbations (57 %) for IPV. The parents were the main carers performing the treatment at home.
CONCLUSIONS: IPPB was the most prescribed technique. Diseases and initiation criteria are heterogeneous, underlining the need for studies validating the indications and settings of these techniques.