Resources
Reference section

Key References & Guidelines

A compendium of the current (2026) clinical guidelines that underpin the Resource Hub and our CPD lecture series — 67 guidelines from 20+ organisations, Vancouver-style with direct links.

For health professionals
Surgery & Procedures Key References · area 07 of 07 Last area
Authorship & review
Dr Sean James Ledger, BSc Physio (Hons) MSc PhD FHEA
Director and Principal Physiotherapist
Ahpra registration PHY0002298174
Version
1.0
Last updated
12 August 2026
Next review
12 August 2027
Every guide on this site is reviewed at least once a year, and sooner when the evidence changes.
How these guides are written and reviewed →

This page consolidates the principal clinical guidelines in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy, current to July 2026 — compiled June 2026 and re-verified in the monthly guideline sweep of 30 July 2026. They are grouped by domain and numbered in Vancouver style with links to the issuing organisation. Several are “living” documents (COPD-X is updated quarterly, GOLD annually, BTS on rolling review) — always confirm the current version via the organisation’s guideline hub before clinical use. These guidelines also inform the Inspire Clinic CPD lecture series.

Adult cardiac & respiratory Paediatric Spirometry (UK & ANZ) Exercise & rehabilitation ICU & additional Practice-changing points

1 · Adult cardiac & respiratory physiotherapy

BTS, GOLD, TSANZ, Lung Foundation Australia (COPD-X), NICE, ERS, CF Trust, ANZBA, CSP/ACPICR/HCPC.

2 · Paediatric guidelines

NICE, BTS, ERS, PREDICT (Australasian bronchiolitis), CF Trust, GINA.

3 · Spirometry (UK and Australia/New Zealand)

ATS/ERS technical standard, ARTP, NHS England, PCRS, TSANZ/ANZSRS. Both jurisdictions use GLI reference equations and z-scores. In Australia the current pair is SPC01 (technical standards) and SPC02 (training and competency), both 2026.

4 · Exercise testing, prescription & rehabilitation

ACSM, AHA, ATS, AACVPR, ERS/ATS field walking tests, and population physical-activity guidelines.

5 · ICU & additional guidelines

Critical-care early mobilisation and peripheral arterial disease.

Practice-changing points

Bronchiolitis: chest physiotherapy is not recommended for uncomplicated bronchiolitis (NICE NG9; Australasian Bronchiolitis Guideline 2025) — reserved for comorbidities (e.g. neuromuscular disease, severe tracheomalacia) that impair secretion clearance.
Spirometry (GLI): UK (ARTP) and ANZ (TSANZ/ANZSRS) have both converged on GLI 2012 reference equations and z-scores, replacing fixed-percentage cut-offs — this affects severity grading in documentation.
COPD (GOLD 2026): reframes COPD around “disease activity” rather than static airflow limitation, lowers the exacerbation-risk threshold to a single event, and adds a chapter on AI/emerging technologies.
Asthma (GINA 2026; Australian Asthma Handbook v3.0): inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-containing therapy for every adult and adolescent — anti-inflammatory reliever (AIR)-only or maintenance-and-reliever therapy (MART) — and short-acting beta2-agonist (SABA)-only treatment is no longer recommended.
Heart failure (2026 Second Universal Definition): AHA/ACC/ESC/WHF group heart failure as reduced, preserved or improved ejection fraction rather than by fixed left ventricular ejection fraction thresholds, and centre stage B (pre-heart failure) as the detection window — a stage-B patient already on a rehabilitation caseload is a prevention opportunity.
Paediatric airway clearance: ERS and TSANZ state technique selection should be developmentally tailored and delivered/reviewed by a paediatric-trained respiratory physiotherapist.
Standing guidelines: some older documents remain current (e.g. the 2009 BTS/ACPRC spontaneously-breathing-patient guideline, 2013 AHA exercise standards) as no replacement has been issued — verify via the issuing body.

References are numbered by domain in Vancouver/BMJ style and were current at the time of writing. Guidelines are living documents — verify against the latest version before clinical use.

Note: This is a reference compilation of publicly available guidelines, current at compilation (June 2026, re-verified 30 July 2026), provided for education. Verify the currency of any document before clinical application and consult the original for complete context. Links open the issuing organisation’s page. For queries, contact Inspire Clinic.

Corrections: If something on this page is wrong, out of date or unclear, we want to know. Email reception@inspireclinic.au with the page name and what you believe is incorrect. Substantive corrections are made promptly, and the guide’s version and last-updated date are changed to reflect it.