ORCID Profile
0000-0001-7533-2315
Current Organisations
Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service
,
University of Queensland
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Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 13-02-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2023
Publisher: European Respiratory Society (ERS)
Date: 21-06-2022
DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00300-2022
Abstract: Bronchiectasis is being diagnosed increasingly in children and adolescents. Recurrent respiratory exacerbations are common in children and adolescents with this chronic pulmonary disorder. Respiratory exacerbations are associated with an impaired quality of life, poorer long-term clinical outcomes, and substantial costs to the family and health systems. The 2021 European Respiratory Society (ERS) clinical practice guideline for the management of children and adolescents with bronchiectasis provided a definition of acute respiratory exacerbations for clinical use but to date there is no comparable universal definition for clinical research. Given the importance of exacerbations in the field, this ERS Task Force sought to obtain robust definitions of respiratory exacerbations for clinical research. The panel was a multidisciplinary team of specialists in paediatric and adult respiratory medicine, infectious disease, physiotherapy, primary care, nursing, radiology, methodology, patient advocacy, and parents of children and adolescents with bronchiectasis. We used a standardised process that included a systematic literature review, parent survey, and a Delphi approach involving 299 physicians (54 countries) caring for children and adolescents with bronchiectasis. Consensus was obtained for all four statements drafted by the panel as the disagreement rate was very low (range 3.6–7.2%). The panel unanimously endorsed the four consensus definitions for 1a) non-severe exacerbation and 1b) severe exacerbation as an outcome measure, 2) non-severe exacerbation for studies initiating treatment, and 3) resolution of a non-severe exacerbation for clinical trials involving children and adolescents with bronchiectasis. This ERS Task Force proposes using these internationally derived, consensus-based definitions of respiratory exacerbations for future clinical paediatric bronchiectasis research.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 05-2014
Publisher: European Respiratory Society (ERS)
Date: 03-06-2021
DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00122-2021
Abstract: The global burden of children and young people (CYP) with bronchiectasis is being recognised increasingly. They experience a poor quality of life and recurrent respiratory exacerbations requiring additional treatment, including hospitalisation. However, there are no published data on patient-driven clinical needs and/or research priorities for paediatric bronchiectasis. Parent atient-driven views are required to understand the clinical needs and research priorities to inform changes that benefit CYP with bronchiectasis and reduce their disease burden. The European Lung Foundation and the European Respiratory Society Task Force for paediatric bronchiectasis created an international roadmap of clinical and research priorities to guide, and as an extension of, the clinical practice guideline. This roadmap was based on two global web-based surveys. The first survey (10 languages) was completed by 225 respondents (parents of CYP with bronchiectasis and adults with bronchiectasis diagnosed in childhood) from 21 countries. The parent atient survey encompassed both clinical and research priorities. The second survey, completed by 258 health practitioners from 54 countries, was limited to research priorities. The two highest clinical needs expressed by parents atients were: having an action management plan for flare-ups/exacerbations and access to physiotherapists. The two highest health practitioners’ research priorities related to eradication of airway pathogens and optimal airway clearance techniques. Based on both surveys, the top 10 research priorities were derived, and unanimous consensus statements were formulated from these priorities. This document addresses parents' atients' clinical and research priorities from both the parents' atients' and clinicians' perspectives and will help guide research and clinical efforts to improve the lives of people with bronchiectasis.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-04-2021
DOI: 10.1002/PPUL.25424
Abstract: Cough is an important contributor to the health burden of children and their families. There are limited data describing healthcare utilization and medication use over the course of a cough illness beyond the initial presentation. Our primary objective was to describe medication and healthcare use in children with a respiratory illness with cough as a symptom over the course of the illness. A cohort study of children aged less than 15‐years presenting to three primary healthcare centers and three emergency departments with a cough illness between July 7, 2015 and October 6, 2018. Children with immunosuppression, known chronic lung diseases (except asthma) and those requiring hospitalization at screening were excluded. The primary outcomes were cough‐related frequency and type of healthcare seeking and medication use up to 28 days following enrolment. Data for 465 children were analyzed median age 2.2‐years (interquartile range = 1.1–5.3). Cough at Day 28 persisted in 117 children (25.2%). Overall, 436 (94%) children received medications in the week before and/or 4 weeks following enrolment. Half with upper respiratory tract infections were prescribed antibiotics. Among children with no diagnosis of asthma, reactive airways disease or croup ( n = 404), 16.8% were given steroids. Fifty‐eight percent of children sought healthcare at least once before their baseline presentation (median = 1, range = 0–20) and 49.7% had at least one further presentation in the following 28 days. High healthcare utilization, inappropriate medication use, and suboptimal parent knowledge regarding cough suggests targeted education is needed to improve management and reduce cough burden.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-08-2019
Publisher: FapUNIFESP (SciELO)
Date: 03-2013
DOI: 10.1590/S1516-31802013000100013
Abstract: BACKGROUND Tracheomalacia, a disorder of the large airways where the trachea is deformed or malformed during respiration, is commonly seen in tertiary paediatric practice. It is associated with a wide spectrum of respiratory symptoms from life-threatening recurrent apnoea to common respiratory symptoms such as chronic cough and wheeze. Current practice following diagnosis of tracheomalacia includes medical approaches aimed at reducing associated symptoms of tracheomalacia, ventilation modalities of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP), and surgical approaches aimed at improving the calibre of the airway (airway stenting, aortopexy, tracheopexy). OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy of medical and surgical therapies for children with intrinsic (primary) tracheomalacia. METHODS Search The Cochrane Airways Group searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), the Cochrane Airways Group's Specialized Register, Medline and Embase databases. The Cochrane Airways Group performed the latest searches in March 2012. Selection criteria All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of therapies related to symptoms associated with primary or intrinsic tracheomalacia. Data collection and analysis Two reviewers extracted data from the included study independently and resolved disagreements by consensus. MAIN RESULTS We included one RCT that compared nebulized recombinant human deoxyribonuclease (rhDNase) with placebo in 40 children with airway malacia and a respiratory tract infection. We assessed it to be a RCT with overall low risk of bias. Data analyzed in this review showed that there was no significant difference between groups for the primary outcome of proportion cough-free at two weeks (odds ratio (OR) 1.38 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37 to 5.14). However, the mean change in night time cough diary scores significantly favoured the placebo group (mean difference (MD) 1.00 95% CI 0.17 to 1.83, P = 0.02). The mean change in daytime cough diary scores from baseline was also better in the placebo group compared to those on nebulized rhDNase, but the difference between groups was not statistically significant (MD 0.70 95% CI -0.19 to 1.59). Other outcomes (dyspnoea, and difficulty in expectorating sputum scores, and lung function tests at two weeks also favoured placebo over nebulized rhDNase but did not reach levels of significance. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS There is currently an absence of evidence to support any of the therapies currently utilised for management of intrinsic tracheomalacia. It remains inconclusive whether the use of nebulized rhDNase in children with airway malacia and a respiratory tract infection worsens recovery. It is unlikely that any RCT on surgically based management will ever be available for children with severe life-threatening illness associated with tracheomalacia. For those with less severe disease, RCTs on interventions such as antibiotics and chest physiotherapy are clearly needed. Outcomes of these RCTs should include measurements of the trachea and physiological outcomes in addition to clinical outcomes.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Date: 31-01-2013
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 31-10-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-07-2020
DOI: 10.1002/RCR2.620
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Date: 19-12-2018
Abstract: Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) is a rare disorder of autonomic control. A hypoglycaemic seizure in a 4-year-old girl with CCHS led to a more detailed examination of glycaemic control in a cohort of children with CCHS. We conducted an observational cohort study of glucose homeostasis in seven children (3 months to 12 years) with genetically confirmed CCHS using a combination of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), fasting studies and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). CGM was used to compare the effect of diazoxide and dietary intervention in the index patient. Hypoglycaemia was not elicited by fasting in any of the patients. Increased postprandial glycaemic variability was evident in all patients using CGM, with seven of seven patients demonstrating initial postprandial hyperglycaemia (plasma-glucose concentration .8 mmol/L), followed by asymptomatic hypoglycaemia (plasma-glucose concentration ≤2.8 mmol/L) in two of seven patients that was also demonstrated on OGTT. Both diazoxide and low Glycaemic Index (GI) dietary intervention reduced the proportion of CGM readings mmol/L however, diazoxide also increased the proportion of readings in the hyperglycaemic range. Glucose variability associated with autonomic dysfunction may be unrecognised in CCHS, particularly in children with more severe phenotypes. This report highlights the occurrence of hyperglycaemia as well as hypoglycaemia in CCHS. Given the challenges of recognising hypoglycaemia based on clinical symptomatology, the use of CGM may facilitate its identification allowing appropriate management. The observed normoglycaemia during fasting combined with increased postprandial plasma blood glucose level (BGL) variability is more consistent with dumping syndrome than persistent hyperinsulinism. Dietary modifications therefore may be more effective than diazoxide in managing hypoglycaemia.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 14-10-2021
DOI: 10.1136/ARCHDISCHILD-2021-322578
Abstract: Children with tracheomalacia can develop chronic lower airway infection and neutrophilic inflammation. It is plausible children with tracheomalacia are at increased risk of developing bronchiectasis. We hypothesised that compared with controls, tracheomalacia in children is associated with bronchiectasis. Single-centre, case–control study. 45 children with chest high-resolution CT (c-HRCT) confirmed bronchiectasis (cases) and enrolled in the Australian Bronchiectasis Registry were selected randomly from Queensland, and 90 unmatched children without chronic respiratory symptoms or radiographic evidence of bronchiectasis (disease controls). Cases and controls had flexible bronchoscopy performed for clinical reasons within 4 weeks of their c-HRCT. The bronchoscopy videos were reviewed in a blinded manner for: (a) any tracheomalacia (any shape deformity of the trachea at end-expiration) and (b) tracheomalacia defined by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) statement ( % expiratory reduction in the cross-sectional luminal area). Cases were younger (median age=2.6 years, IQR 1.5–4.1) than controls (7.8 years, IQR 3.4–12.8), but well-balanced for sex (56% and 52% male, respectively). Using multivariable analysis (adjusted for age), the presence of any tracheomalacia was significantly associated with bronchiectasis (adjusted OR (OR adj )=13.2, 95% CI 3.2 to 55), while that for ERS-defined tracheomalacia further increased this risk (OR adj =24.4, 95% CI 3.4 to infinity). Bronchoscopic-defined tracheomalacia is associated with childhood bronchiectasis. While causality cannot be inferred, children with tracheomalacia should be monitored for chronic ( weeks) wet cough, the most common symptom of bronchiectasis, which if present should be treated and then investigated if the cough persists or is recurrent.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-02-2016
DOI: 10.1002/PPUL.23380
Abstract: Bronchiectasis is described classically as a chronic pulmonary disorder characterized by a persistent productive cough and irreversible dilatation of one or more bronchi. However, in children unable to expectorate, cough may instead be wet and intermittent and bronchial dilatation reversible in the early stages. Although still considered an orphan disease, it is being recognized increasingly as causing significant morbidity and mortality in children and adults in both affluent and developing countries. While bronchiectasis has multiple etiologies, the final common pathway involves a complex interplay between the host, respiratory pathogens and environmental factors. These interactions lead to a vicious cycle of repeated infections, airway inflammation and tissue remodelling resulting in impaired airway clearance, destruction of structural elements within the bronchial wall causing them to become dilated and small airway obstruction. In this review, the current knowledge of the epidemiology, pathobiology, clinical features, and management of bronchiectasis in children are summarized. Recent evidence has emerged to improve our understanding of this heterogeneous disease including the role of viruses, and how antibiotics, novel drugs, antiviral agents, and vaccines might be used. Importantly, the management is no longer dependent upon extrapolating from the cystic fibrosis experience. Nevertheless, substantial information gaps remain in determining the underlying disease mechanisms that initiate and sustain the pathophysiological pathways leading to bronchiectasis. National and international collaborations, standardizing definitions of clinical and research end points, and exploring novel primary prevention strategies are needed if further progress is to be made in understanding, treating and even preventing this often life-limiting disease.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 12-02-2014
DOI: 10.1136/ARCHDISCHILD-2013-304793
Abstract: To determine whether a child with chronic wet cough and poor response to at least 4 weeks of oral antibiotics is more likely to have bronchiectasis. All chest multi-detector computerised tomography (MDCT) scans at a single paediatric tertiary hospital from April 2010 to August 2012 were reviewed retrospectively so as to identify those ordered by respiratory physicians for assessment of children with a chronic wet cough. Information regarding age, sex, ethnicity, indication for imaging and the response to at least 4 weeks of antibiotics before having the scan were recorded from their charts. The data were analysed using simple and multiple logistic regression. Of the 144 (87 males) eligible children, 106 (65 males, 30 Indigenous) aged 10-199 months had MDCT scan evidence of bronchiectasis. Antibiotic data were available for 129 children. Among the 105 children with persistent cough despite at least 4 weeks of antibiotics, 88 (83.8%) had bronchiectasis, while of the 24 children whose cough resolved after antibiotics, only six (25.0%) received this diagnosis (adjusted OR 20.9 95% CI 5.36 to 81.8). Being Indigenous was also independently associated with radiographic evidence of bronchiectasis (adjusted OR 5.86 95% CI 1.20 to 28.5). Further investigations including a MDCT scan should be considered in a child with a chronic wet cough that persists following 4 weeks of oral antibiotics. However, while reducing the likelihood of underlying bronchiectasis, responding well to a single prolonged course of antibiotics does not exclude this diagnosis completely.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 30-09-2023
Publisher: University of Queensland Library
Date: 2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 18-10-2022
Abstract: Memantine is an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, approved for dementia treatment. There is limited evidence of memantine showing benefit for paediatric neurodevelopmental phenotypes, but no randomized placebo-controlled trials in children with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial (Trial registration: t2/show/NCT03779672), patients with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy received memantine and placebo, each for a 6-week period separated by a 2-week washout phase. Electroencephalography, seizure diary, patient caregivers’ global impression, serum inflammatory markers and neuropsychological evaluation were performed at baseline and after each treatment phase. The primary outcome measure was classification as a ‘responder’, defined as ≥2 of: & % seizure frequency reduction, electroencephalography improvement, caregiver clinical impression improvement or clear neuropsychological testing improvement. Thirty-one patients (13 females) enrolled. Two patients withdrew prior to initiating medication and two (twins) had to be removed from analysis. Of the remaining 27 patients, nine (33%) were classified as responders to memantine versus two (7%) in the placebo group (P & 0.02). Electroencephalography improvement was seen in eight patients on memantine compared to two on placebo (P & 0.04). Seizure improvement was observed in eight patients on memantine and two on placebo (P & 0.04). Caregivers reported overall clinical improvement in 10 patients on memantine compared to seven on placebo (not significant). Statistical analysis of neuropsychological evaluation suggested improvements in symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. Memantine is a safe and effective treatment for children with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, having the potential to improve both seizure control and cognitive function.
Publisher: European Respiratory Society (ERS)
Date: 30-04-2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2018
DOI: 10.1111/JPC.14146
Abstract: In children presenting to an emergency department (ED) with an acute coughing illness, the aims of this study were to: (i) describe the frequency of doctor visits and medication use and (ii) describe management and relate it to current evidence-based guidelines. This was a cross-sectional study in ED of a major teaching hospital (Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia). Participants included 537 children (<15 years) presenting with acute (<2 weeks) cough, with a median age of 2.2 years (interquartile range 1.0-4.0) 61.5% were boys. Hospitalised children and those with asthma, pneumonia or chronic illnesses were excluded. Main outcome measures were: (i) frequency of pre-ED doctor visits and medication use and (ii) comparison of management to current evidence-based recommendations related to four discharge diagnoses: bronchiolitis, 'wheeze/reactive airway disease (RAD)', croup and 'non-specific acute respiratory illness'. A total of 300 children (55.9%) had seen a doctor prior to their ED presentation, and use of medications pre-ED was high (53.4%). While 93.4% of children with croup were treated in accordance with guidelines, concordance was lower for children with bronchiolitis or 'wheeze/RAD'. The majority of children with a discharge diagnosis of 'wheeze/RAD' (95.6%) received bronchodilators, and 72.7% also received oral corticosteroids but were not diagnosed with asthma. More than half (55.1%) of the children with non-specific acute respiratory illness received medication(s) either prior to or during their ED presentation. The burden of acute cough-related illnesses in children is high, and there is a need for improved uptake of evidence-based guidelines. In addition, the large number of children diagnosed with 'wheeze/RAD' suggests asthma is likely under-diagnosed in this setting.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-10-2012
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 16-08-2017
DOI: 10.1136/ARCHDISCHILD-2017-312848
Abstract: Data on the aetiology of persistent cough at the transitional stage from subacute to chronic cough (>4 weeks duration) are scarce. We aimed to (1) identify the prevalence of chronic cough following acute respiratory illness (ARI) and (2) determine the diagnostic outcomes of children with chronic cough. Prospective cohort study. A paediatric emergency department (ED) in Brisbane, Australia. Children aged <15 years presenting with an ARI with cough. Children were followed weekly for 28 days those with a persistent cough at day 28 were reviewed by a paediatric pulmonologist. Cough persistence at day 28 and pulmonologist diagnosis. 2586 children were screened and 776 (30%) were ineligible 839 children (median age=2.3 years, range=0.5 months to 14.7 years, 60% male) were enrolled over 2 years. Most children (n=627, 74.8%) had cough duration of <7 days at enrolment. At day 28, 171/839 (20.4%, 95% CI 17.7 to 23.1) children had persistent cough irrespective of cough duration at enrolment. The cough was wet in 59/171 (34.5%), dry in 45/171 (26.4%) and variable in 28/171 (16.1%). Of these 117 children , 117 (68.4%) were reviewed by a paediatric pulmonologist. A new and serious chronic lung disease was diagnosed in 36/117 (30.8%) children 55/117 (47.0%) were diagnosed with protracted bacterial bronchitis. When chronic cough develops post-ARI, clinical review is warranted, particularly if parents report a history of prolonged or recurrent cough. Parents of children presenting acutely to ED with cough should be counselled about the development of chronic cough, as an underlying respiratory condition is not uncommon.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 26-06-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2023
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 05-10-2022
Abstract: Current bronchiectasis management guidelines recommend regular physical activity but a large proportion of children with bronchiectasis do not meet public health recommendations which call for 60 min or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity daily. Knowing the factors that influence physical activity in children with bronchiectasis is necessary for the development of effective interventions to increase physical activity in this patient group. The objective of this study was to identify facilitators and barriers to physical activity in children with bronchiectasis unrelated to cystic fibrosis (CF) from the perspectives of children and their parents. This was a qualitative study informed by the theoretical domains framework (TDF). Children aged 7–15 years (8.8 years, 8.4–11.0) (median, interquartile range) and parents (45.8 years, 39.7–48.3) completed separate, semi-structured interviews ( n = 21). Recordings were transcribed verbatim, and barriers and facilitators related to each TDF domain deductively coded. Emergent themes were inductively derived via consensus moderation. From the perspectives of children, fun with friends, organized sport and activities, and family co-participation in physical activity emerged as facilitators. Inability to keep up with their peers and time on technology emerged as barriers. From the perspectives of parents, instrumental and logistic support for physical activity and supportive social and physical activity environments emerged as facilitators, while management of symptoms associated with bronchiectasis emerged as a barrier. Programs to increase physical activity in children with bronchiectasis should be fun, accessible, provide opportunities for social interaction and address barriers related to exercise tolerance, perceived competence, and presence of respiratory symptoms.
Publisher: Springer Basel
Date: 2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2020
DOI: 10.1111/RESP.13828
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2016
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-06-2016
DOI: 10.1007/S00431-016-2743-5
Abstract: We describe the clinical, bronchoscopic, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and radiographic characteristics of children whose chronic wet cough did not resolve with oral antibiotics and which led to their hospitalisation for intravenous antibiotics and airway clearance therapy. Between 2010 and 2014, medical chart review identified 22 such children. Their median cough duration was 26 weeks (interquartile range (IQR) 13-52). All received oral antibiotics immediately before their hospitalisation (median 4 weeks IQR 4-6.5). On chest examination, seven (31 %) children had auscultatory crackles. At bronchoscopy, 9 (41 %) had tracheomalacia, 18 (86 %) demonstrated airway neutrophilia (>15 %) and 12 (57 %) grew Haemophilus influenzae from their BAL fluid. They received intravenous antibiotics (mostly cefotaxime or ceftriaxone) and airway clearance therapy as inpatients (median 12.5 days (IQR 10.8-14). All were cough-free at follow-up. The children's BAL characteristics are similar to those with protracted bacterial bronchitis and bronchiectasis, but their poor clinical response to oral antibiotics and non-specific chest CT findings differentiated them from these other two disorders. The findings are consistent with chronic suppurative lung disease. Intravenous antibiotics and airway clearance therapy should therefore be considered in children whose wet cough persists despite 4 weeks of oral antibiotics and where other causes of chronic wet cough are absent. What is known on this topic? • Chronic wet cough not resolving with appropriate antibiotics increases the likelihood of bronchiectasis. • Children with chronic suppurative lung disease (CSLD) have clinical features of bronchiectasis, but lack the radiographic evidence for this diagnosis. • Children with CSLD have airway neutrophilia and predominantly Haemophilus influenzae in lower airway cultures, similar to children with protracted bacterial bronchitis and bronchiectasis. • Chronic wet cough in CSLD, unresponsive to oral antibiotics, resolves with intravenous antibiotics and airway clearance therapy.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-06-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-07-2016
DOI: 10.1002/PPUL.23527
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-04-2022
DOI: 10.1186/S13063-022-06256-2
Abstract: Globally, bronchiectasis (BE) unrelated to cystic fibrosis (CF) is recognized as a major cause of respiratory morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization. Children with BE regularly experience exacerbations of their condition resulting in frequent hospitalizations and decreased health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). Guidelines for the treatment and management of BE call for regular exercise as a means of improving aerobic fitness and HR-QoL. Moreover, research in adults with BE has shown that exercise can reduce the frequency of exacerbations, a potent predictor of future lung function decline and respiratory morbidity. Yet, to date, the health benefits resulting from therapeutic exercise have not been investigated in children with BE. The BREATH, Bronchiectasis - Exercise as Therapy, trial will test the efficacy of a novel 8-week, play-based therapeutic exercise program to reduce the frequency of acute exacerbations over 12 months in children with BE (aged ≥ 4 and 13 years). Secondary aims are to determine the cost-effectiveness of the intervention and assess the program’s impact on aerobic fitness, fundamental movement skill (FMS) proficiency, habitual physical activity, HR-QoL, and lung function. This multi-center, observer-blinded, parallel-group (1:1 allocation), randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted at three sites. One hundred and seventy-four children ≥ 4 and 13 years of age with BE will be randomized to a developmentally appropriate, play-based therapeutic exercise program (eight, 60-min weekly sessions, supplemented by a home-based program) or usual care. After completing the baseline assessments, the number of exacerbations and secondary outcomes will be assessed immediately post-intervention, after 6 months of follow-up, and after 12 months of follow-up. Monthly, parental contact and medical review will document acute respiratory exacerbations and parameters for cost-effectiveness outcomes. The BREATH trial is the first fully powered RCT to test the effects of a therapeutic exercise on exacerbation frequency, fitness, movement competence, and HR-QoL in children with bronchiectasis. By implementing a developmentally appropriate, play-based exercise program tailored to the in idual needs of children with bronchiectasis, the results have the potential for a major paradigm shift in the way in which therapeutic exercise is prescribed and implemented in children with chronic respiratory conditions. The exercise program can be readily translated. It does not require expensive equipment and can be delivered in a variety of settings, including the participant’s home. The program has strong potential for translation to other pediatric patient groups with similar needs for exercise therapy, including those with obesity, childhood cancers, and neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR) ACTRN12619001008112
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2021
Location: Australia
Location: India
No related grants have been discovered for Vikas Goyal.