Physiotherapy in upper abdominal surgery - what is current practice in Australia?

This is a self-reported survey of physiotherapists, not direct observation of patient care, so it cannot confirm what actually happened at the bedside. Only 57 of 178 invited physiotherapists completed the survey, and the 35% response rate means the results may not represent all Australian physiotherapists. Not every respondent answered every question, so percentages are based on different totals for different items. The survey was anonymous, so more than one physiotherapist from the same hospital could have responded. The paper reports practice patterns, not patient outcomes or complication rates. Some response categories were collapsed for reporting, which can make differences between never, rarely, sometimes, often and always harder to interpret.

Do not read this as evidence that adding breathing exercises to early mobilisation prevents complications. It is a self-reported survey of physiotherapists' usual practice, with 57 respondents and no patient outcomes measured.