Incentive spirometry combined with expiratory positive airway pressure improves asthma control and quality of life in asthma: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: The use of the incentive spirometer (IS) and expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) provides several benefits in patients with respiratory disorders. However, the effects of the use of these devices coupled (IS + EPAP) are still unknown in asthmatic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of IS associated with EPAP on exercise tolerance (six-minute walk test - 6MWT), lung function (by spirometry), asthma control (Asthma Control Questionnaire - ACQ) and quality of life (Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire - AQLQ) in patients with severe asthma. METHODS: Patients were randomised into two groups: IS + EPAP (n = 8) and control (n = 6). The IS + EPAP group performed breathing exercises at home, twice daily for 20 min, over a period of 5 weeks. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in spirometric variables and in the distance walked in the 6MWT in both groups. However, the IS + EPAP group showed an improvement in asthma control (p = 0.002) and quality of life (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that the IS + EPAP protocol, when performed at home, provides an improvement in asthma control and quality of life for patients with severe asthma when evaluated by ACQ and AQLQ, respectively.

Efeitos de duas técnicas de incentivo respiratório na mobilidade toracoabdominal após cirurgia abdominal alta / Effects of two respiratory incentive techniques on chest wall mobility after upper abdominal surgery

A cirurgia abdominal alta está associada a um risco elevado de complicações pulmonares que podem ser reduzidas pelo uso criterioso de manobras terapêuticas visando a expansão pulmonar. O objetivo foi comparar duas técnicas de incentivo respiratório na recuperação da dinâmica toracoabdominal em pacientes submetidos à cirurgia abdominal alta. O grupo de estudo experimental foi constituído por 16 pacientes internados na Clínica Cirúrgica do Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria distribuídos aleatoriamente em dois grupos: o grupo 1 foi constituído por dez pacientes que usaram o dispositivo Voldyne e o grupo 2, por seis pacientes submetidos ao padrão ventilatório com inspiração fracionada em três tempos. A expansibilidade toracoabdominal foi avaliada por cirtometria antes da cirurgia e no 1º, 3º¸ e 5º dias do pós-operatório (PO). Observou-se redução significativa dos valores de cirtometria no 1º PO que, gradualmente, foram sendo recuperados, não mais havendo diferença significativa no 5o PO em relação aos valores pré-operatórios em ambos os grupos. O grupo 1 obteve significativamente melhores índices de recuperação da mobilidade toracoabdominal do que o grupo 2. Também o tempo de recuperação do grupo 1 atingiu médias mais elevadas durante todo o período de PO investigado. Embora ambas as técnicas utilizadas fossem efetivas, o incentivo inspiratório por meio do Voldyne mostrou melhores resultados na recuperação da expansibilidade pulmonar após cirurgia abdominal alta.

Upper abdominal surgery is associated to increased risk of pulmonary complications, which may be lessened by judicious use of therapeutic maneuvers aimed at lung expansion. The purpose here was to compare two respiratory incentive techniques on recovery of thoracic-abdominal dynamics in patients having undergone upper abdominal surgery. Sixteen patients in such condition were randomly divided into group 1 (n=10), who did respiratory training with the Voldyne device, and group 2 (n=6), submitted to a split-inspiration pattern training. Chest wall expansion was rated by measuring thorax circumferences before surgery and on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th post-operative (PO) days. In both groups a significant decrease was found in circumference values on the 1st PO day, which gradually recovered, until on the 5th PO day no significant differences were found as compared to pre-operative measures. Group 1 showed significantly better thoracic-abdominal expansion rates than group 2's, as well as higher recovery time rates all through. Though both breathing techniques used were effective, inspiratory incentive using the Voldyne device showed better results in recovering chest mobility after upper abdominal surgery.