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Roland H, Brown A, Rousselot A, Freeman N, Wieting JM, Bergman S, Mondal D. Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Decreases Hospital Stay and Healthcare Cost in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. MEDICINES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:49. [PMID: 36286582 PMCID: PMC9607199 DOI: 10.3390/medicines9100049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is used in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Evidence suggests that OMT can reduce both patients' recovery time and the financial cost of their acute medical treatment and rehabilitation. Multiple studies from neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are presented in this article that demonstrate infants treated with OMT recover faster, are discharged earlier, and have lower healthcare costs than their non-OMT-treated counterparts. Data clearly show that adjunctive OMT facilitates feeding coordination in newborns, such as latching, suckling, swallowing, and breathing, and increases long-term weight gain and maintenance, which reduces hospital length of stay (LOS). Osteopathic techniques, such as soft tissue manipulation, balanced ligamentous tension, myofascial release, and osteopathic cranial manipulation (OCM), can reduce regurgitation, vomiting, milky bilious, or bloody discharge and decrease the need for constipation treatment. OMT can also be effective in reducing the complications of pneumonia in premature babies. Studies show the use of OCM and lymphatic pump technique (LPT) reduces the occurrence of both aspiration and environmentally acquired pneumonia, resulting in significantly lower morbidity and mortality in infants. Based on published findings, it is determined that OMT is clinically effective, cost efficient, a less invasive alternative to surgery, and a less toxic choice to pharmacologic drugs. Therefore, routine incorporation of OMT in the NICU can be of great benefit in infants with multiple disorders. Future OMT research should aim to initiate clinical trial designs that include randomized controlled trials with larger cohorts of infants admitted to the NICU. Furthermore, a streamlined and concerted effort to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with the beneficial effects of OMT will aid in understanding the significant value of incorporating OMT into optimal patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Roland
- DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, 9737 Cogdill Road, Knoxville, TN 37932, USA
| | - Amanda Brown
- DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, 9737 Cogdill Road, Knoxville, TN 37932, USA
| | - Amy Rousselot
- DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, 9737 Cogdill Road, Knoxville, TN 37932, USA
| | - Natalie Freeman
- DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, 9737 Cogdill Road, Knoxville, TN 37932, USA
| | - J. Michael Wieting
- DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, 6965 Cumberland Gap Parkway, Harrogate, TN 37752, USA
| | - Stephen Bergman
- DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, 6965 Cumberland Gap Parkway, Harrogate, TN 37752, USA
| | - Debasis Mondal
- DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, 9737 Cogdill Road, Knoxville, TN 37932, USA
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