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©Copyright Published: 22/12/2005 |
Media Release INQUIRY AGREES WITH HOSPITAL RESEARCH ON NEONATAL CHEST PHYSIOTHERAPY National Women's Hospital neonatal specialist Dr David Knight said today that the Ministry of Health's inquiry into changes in neonatal chest physiotherapy (nCPT) had many positive comments and commendation for the hospital. He said the allegations made in media reports on the inquiry today were not supported by the inquiry's findings and conclusions. "In 1995, National Women's and another hospital published research which identified that the occurrence of the brain lesion we had seen was related to aspects of the babies' condition at birth, low blood pressure soon after birth and neonatal chest physiotherapy," he said. " The inquiry focused on chest physiotherapy and identified relevant aspects of the treatment." National Women's provided a type of chest physiotherapy known as "percussion" to newborn babies from 1985 to 1994*. The inquiry looked into a change in treatment in 1993. The hospital stopped the treatment in December 1994. The inquiry found that treatment given met national and international protocols at the time. The inquiry stated that there were no known risks of neonatal chest physiotherapy at the time. * In the 80s and early 90s, chronic lung disease and respiratory failure was a problem associated with the prolonged use of ventilators to assist very premature neonatal babies. One of the ways to deal with and overcome chronic lung disease was neonatal chest physiotherapy. It was believed the regular tapping of the external chest assisted babies by clearing the internal secretions and improving lung function. National Women's used the technique of percussion by means of "cupping’ or "tapping" using a small latex face-mask on the chest wall to loosen thick mucus from the lungs. The inquiry also found that the change in treatment met ethical standards and did not require ethics committee or parental consent. It commended National Women's on its protocols, teaching and documentation. The hospital dealt with issues that arose as the change was implemented appropriately. Clinicians had introduced the change in order to try to improve care of the babies. The inquiry praised the audit and research undertaken by National Women's staff to find the cause of the brain lesion, and its openness in publicising the results immediately and widely as an example for others to follow. The inquiry found that the chest physiotherapy treatment at National Women's was given with greater vigour and duration than at other hospitals. However it also concluded that the staff training and supervision of the treatment was consistent with international standards. Dr Knight pointed out that the inquiry team had the benefit of hindsight in reaching its conclusion on vigour, and that this conclusion was based on the difficult interpretation of conflicting evidence. "At the time, the treatment was given within recommended guidelines," he explained. He added that the inquiry found that in spite of the problem with the brain lesion, National Women's was producing good results with premature babies at the time. He said that National Women's fully supported the inquiry team's list of lessons to be learned. " These are lessons about national issues which have implications for the wider health sector not specifically National Women's," he explained. The inquiry found that it was evident that the lessons from the Cervical Cancer Inquiry had been learnt and followed by National Women's. For further information contact:
Brenda Saunders |
Ministry of Health