Treating the parents

Whilst on my paediatric placement I became aware of how important it is to treat the child and the parents. One of the patients was a one year old with meningitis. This patient had increased secretions and was seen for chest treatment twice a day. Chest treatment included positioning for drainage, percussion, vibes and suctioning. Whilst in ICU the child also experienced seizures. The parents were very anxious about their child which was understandable.

When I watched the physiotherapist treat this patient for the first time the parents were continuously asking questions. They were asking questions such as "what level should the suction be on? some nurses use 20mmHg and others use 40mmHg which is best? how deep are you suctioning? should the bed be tilted before you suctions?" The parents were very anxious and wanted the best treatment for the child. The physiotherapist stayed very calm and collected and educated the parents as to the parameters she used and explained that there was no literature to support intermittent suction or twirling the suction catheter. The parents admired the physiotherapist and seemed to want consistency between health professionals. This is difficult because everyone is taught differently and has their own style so it was discussed at a team meeting and parameters were agreed upon.

This experience and the rest of my paediatric placement made me realise that although we are physically treating the patient a huge part of paediatric physiotherapy is treating the parents. To perform a successful treatment we must treat the child and continue to educate the parents with reasons for techniques as they are very concerned for their children and want to actively be involved with their rehabilitation.