Original Research Article
Year: 2022 | Month: March | Volume: 12 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 242-249
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20220334
Current Physiotherapy Practices in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Mansi Milanbhai Kotecha1, Mansee Desai2
1Second-Year MPT Student, JG College of Physiotherapy, Ahmedabad
2Lecturer and PG Guide, College of Physiotherapy, Ahmedabad.
Corresponding Author: Mansi Kotecha
ABSTRACT
Background: Neonatal intensive care unit, being a specially equipped area for critically ill and unstable newborns, requires a variety of healthcare professionals with expertise in neonatal care including a physiotherapist. The ongoing pandemic (COVID-19) has dramatically changed healthcare services and systems including neonatal intensive care units.
Aim and Objective: The study’s objective was to investigate current cardiopulmonary and neuromuscular physiotherapy practices in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted by sending a validated questionnaire to 250 physiotherapists of different cities across Gujarat through an online survey platform. The link to the survey was sent using various social networking sites such as E-mail, WhatsApp and Facebook.
Results: Currently, only 43.2% of physiotherapists are practicing in the neonatal intensive care unit. Out of which 80% of physiotherapists carry out only conventional chest physiotherapy and neuromuscular physiotherapy.
Conclusion: At present less than 50% of physiotherapists are involved in practicing in the neonatal intensive care unit. Scarcity of knowledge, as well as the practice of many potent cardiopulmonary and neuromuscular physiotherapy interventions, is present currently.
Key words: neonatal intensive care unit, chest physiotherapy, neuromuscular physiotherapy, online survey, Gujarat.