Abstract
Objective
Physiotherapy breathlessness management is considered to be a major component in the treatment of breathlessness; however, evidence of the efficacy of this practice is lacking. This clinical study aimed to identify the immediate impact of breathlessness intervention on perceived breathlessness.
Design
A pragmatic randomised controlled study.
Setting
Collection of data took place over a 4-month period within an in-patient setting in a National Health Service acute teaching hospital.
Participants
Thirty-one subjects participating in the study were recruited over 3 consecutive days and were randomly allocated to the intervention or control groups.
Intervention
Physiotherapy breathlessness management including pursed lip and diaphragmatic breathing, ‘blow-as-you-go’, positioning and pacing techniques were taught to the individuals in the intervention group on an individual basis during a 45-minute training session.
Main outcome measure
The Borg scale was the primary outcome measure. Measurements were taken before, during and after a stair climbing exercise.
Results
Data were collected from 30 subjects (mean age 75.2 years) with a variety of cardiopulmonary conditions. The results suggested that the intervention group reported a reduction in breathlessness during stair climbing (P
=0.02) and after descending the stairs (P=0.02) following a session of breathlessness management. No change was observed in the control group.
Conclusion
The findings of the current investigation suggest that individuals with dyspnoea are able to incorporate techniques taught as part of a breathlessness management package of care, and that in the short term, these techniques have a positive effect on the perception of breathlessness. Future studies should look at the long-term benefit of these procedures.
Citation
An investigation into the immediate impact of breathlessness management on the breathless patient: randomised controlled trial
Jennifer K. Hochstetter, Jeremy Lewis, Lorna Soares-Smith
Physiotherapy - September 2005 (Vol. 91, Issue 3, Pages 178-185, DOI: 10.1016/j.physio.2004.11.003)