Physical therapy
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of Effects of Manual and Mechanical Airway Clearance Techniques on Intracranial Pressure in Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury on a Ventilator: Randomized, Crossover Trial.
Physical therapist intervention can play a significant role in the prevention of mechanical and infectious complications in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who are mechanically ventilated. ⋯ Manual chest percussion technique in patients with severe TBI was associated with statistically significant transient increases in ICP and hemodynamics, compared with the mechanical method. However, such transient increases in ICP by either technique were not clinically relevant in patients with moderate-to-severe TBI without intracranial hypertension on a mechanical ventilator.