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In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned will find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that does not exist. 1Limited financial resources and social problems in the communities surrounding the University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa prompted the need for community engagement as a core university activity. A facilitator in the form of a non-profit company called the Khula Xhariep Partnership (KXP) was created to ensure sustainable opportunities for members involved in community engagement. In 2005, the Physiotherapy Department of the UFS initiated a community outreach programme in the form of a service learning module with specific service learning pedagogic skills and outcomes to meet the mandatory requirements of all the relevant statutory bodies, and the mission statement of the KXP. From this service learning module, it became clear that effective civic engagement can only take place when integrated in all university activities, within a structured curriculum with definite teaching and learning outcomes, quality academic supervision, assessment and research.

Objectives: The movement and mobilisation of an intubated patient in the intensive care unit is restricted by the presence of various drains and intravenous lines. Difficulty to position the patient in the correct postural drainage positions, often leads physiotherapists to using modified postural drainage positions to mobilise secretions. A comparison of effectiveness between the correct postural drainage positions and the modified postural drainage positions during the treatment of acute lobar atelectasis in the intubated patient was conducted. Subjects: Intubated men and women between the ages of 13 and 85 years in the intensive care units of Pelonomi and Universitas Hospitals in Bloemfontein diagnosed with acute lobar atelectasis of the lower lobes were considered for inclusion in this pilot study.Intervention: A controlled randomised clinical experiment was conducted. Group A received inhalation therapywhilst placed in a postural drainage position for 15 minutes. Thereafter percussion was done for five minutes followed by a sterile suction procedure. Group B received the same treatment but modified postural drainage positions were used. Both groups received treatment twice daily.Results: On average, group A required three treatments and nil follow-up chest X-rays before the collapse was resolved, as opposed to the average of 4.5 treatments and one follow-up chest X-ray required by group B before the same result was obtained. In group A the oxygenation compared to Group B was improved. The findings were not statistically significant.Conclusion: The use of postural drainage positions in intensive care suggests quicker resolution of acute lobar atelectasis and improves oxygenation.

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