Abstract
Study Objectives: To compare the indoor stay of patients with pneumonia, with and without postural drainage physical therapy technique. To measure the amount of sputum produced before and after physical therapy in patients with pneumonia.
Study Design: Randomized Control Trail (RCT)
Place and Duration of study: Department of Medicine and Gynecology DHQ Hospital Abottabad, and Department of Medicine and Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation IIMCT Pakistan Railways general Hospital Rawalpindi, from December January 2011 to January 2012.
Methodology: A sample of 87 patients was selected from the Department of Medicine and Department of Gynecology DHQ Hospital Abottabad, and Department of medicine, department of physical Therapy and rehabilitation IIMCT Pakistan Railways General Hospital Rawalpindi. All the patients were randomly placed into two groups, in group A 45 patient were included, 24 females and 21 males with minimum age 20 and maximum 60 and average 36 years. The physical therapy management of group A was chest mobilization techniques twice a day. The group B includes total 42 patients, 25 females and 18 males with minimum 21, maximum 62 and average 36 years of age. The physical therapy management of group B includes postural drainage in different positions with chest mobilization techniques twice a day. The techniques outcomes were assessed by hospitalization stay and a three point patient’s self reporting scale for amount of sputum. The averages of hospitalization stay were calculated for both groups. The data was analyzed through SPSS and the p-value was calculated for both the group by t-test for the amount of sputum before the application of techniques and after the application of technique for both group A and B.
Result: The average hospitalization stay of group A was 7 days and 5 days in group B and the amount of sputum was significantly decreased (p>0.012) in Group as compare to group B (p>0.003).
Conclusion: The postural drainage combined with chest mobilization techniques are more effective than the chest mobilization techniques used alone. The postural drainage physical therapy techniques are also efficacious in reducing the amount of sputum in patients with pneumonia combined with other techniques.

Key words: Pneumonia, postural drainage, chest mobilization techniques