Incentive Spirometry in Routine Management of COPD Patients

Value of Incentive Spirometry in Routine Management of COPD Patients and Its Effect on Diaphragmatic Function

The incentive spirometer is a device that encourages patients, with visual and other positive feedback, to maximally inflate their lungs and sustain that inflation. However, its efficacy in patients with COPD has been little documented especially in diaphragmatic function. This study tried to assess the role of incentive spirometry on Spirometric functions, Sonographic diaphragmatic function, and the scale of dyspnea in COPD patients with exacerbation and with follow-up of these parameters after 2 months.

Forty COPD patients were admitted with an acute exacerbation and the patients were divided randomly into 2 equal groups: the first used the incentive spirometer together with medical treatment (according to GOLD guidelines) for 2 months and the second received only medical treatment for 2 months. All participants, on admission, underwent assessment of mMRC dyspnea scale, spirometry, arterial blood gases, and diaphragmatic ultrasound. Then, a follow-up of the participants was done after 2 months with the same parameters and a comparison between both groups was done.

Inclusion Criteria:

• confirmed cases of COPD according to the criteria GOLD
• age more than 40 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• bad acoustic window by ultrasound
• other chronic respiratory diseases
• lung malignancy
• recent major surgery
• inability to complete or perform the study
• patient refusal