Key result
Perioperative breathing exercises cut postoperative pulmonary complications ~68% vs no exercises in upper abdominal surgery.
Why the study?
Controversy exists regarding the routine use of breathing exercises to prevent pulmonary complications after upper abdominal surgery in patients with noncompromised pulmonary status.
Do preoperative and postoperative breathing exercises reduce postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with noncompromised pulmonary status undergoing upper abdominal surgery?
RCT (n=153)
Randomized
Do preoperative and postoperative breathing exercises reduce postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with noncompromised pulmonary status undergoing upper abdominal surgery?
Absolute Event Rate: 19% vs 60%
Preoperative and postoperative breathing exercises significantly reduce the incidence of pulmonary complications after upper abdominal surgery in patients with noncompromised pulmonary status.
Supports routine pre- and postoperative breathing exercises in upper abdominal surgery; confirms benefit for reducing pulmonary complications in patients with noncompromised lung function.
Controversy exists regarding the routine use of breathing exercises in the prevention of pulmonary complications after upper abdominal surgery. We prospectively randomized 153 patients who had noncompromised pulmonary status; the control group (84 patients) engaged in no breathing exercises, and the respiratory therapy group (69 patients) engaged in preoperative and postoperative breathing exercises supervised by the physical therapist. Postoperative pulmonary complications were classified using criteria derived from chest roentgenograms, arterial blood gas samples, and temperature registration. The incidences of postoperative complications in the treatment group and in the control groups were 19% and 60%, respectively. In the present study, preoperative lung function tests had no additional or predictive value. We advise preoperative and postoperative breathing exercises as a prophylactic treatment in all patients scheduled for upper abdominal surgery.
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Jan A. Roukema (1988) conducted an RCT in Upper abdominal surgery (n=153). Preoperative and postoperative breathing exercises vs. No breathing exercises was evaluated on Postoperative pulmonary complications. Preoperative and postoperative breathing exercises reduced postoperative pulmonary complications compared to no exercises (19% vs 60%) in patients undergoing upper abdominal surgery.
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