Effect of deep breathing exercise on oxygenation of patients under major abdominal surgery: randomized clinical trial

Introduction: The number of major abdominal surgical procedures is increasing around the world. A large number of the patients complain about postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after abdominal surgery and show symptoms of breathing pattern disorder. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of deep breathing exercise on the oxygenation of patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. Methods: This single-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 40 patients who needed major abdominal surgery in Qom, Iran, in 2014. The participants were divided into two equal experimental (n=20) and control (n=20) groups. The cases in both groups received routine care, however, those in the experimental group exercised repeated deep breathing four times per hour for two consecutive hours after the surgery as well. The condition of the patients in both groups was similar in terms of position, mobility, and oxygen therapy. The patient’s oxygen saturation, respiratory rate (RR), heart rate, and the severity of pain in the surgery site were measured. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (Version. 18) using paired t-test, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Multiple regression analyses, Chi-square test, and Fischer’s exact test. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Based on the study findings, the deep breathing exercise significantly reduced the surgery site pain and mean blood pressure and increased O2 saturation in the experimental group after the intervention (P<0.05). Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups, and a significantly higher O2 saturation was observed in the experimental group after deep breathing exercise post-operation (β=2.01, P<0.001). Conclusion: Deep breathing exercises can reduce the severity of pain in the surgery site and mean arterial blood pressure and increase O2 saturation in patients after major abdominal surgery.