Postgraduate medical journal
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of breathing exercises using home-based positive pressure in the expiratory phase in patients with COPD.
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) commonly have higher intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEPi). A breathing exercise programme strategy employing an appropriate PEEP may improve their pulmonary functional capacity, exercise tolerance and health-related quality of life. Breathing with an expiratory resistive load, which is a method of modulating spontaneous breathing against PEEPi, has not been fully studied in patients with COPD. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of changing spontaneous breathing in home-based conditions and regulating spontaneous breathing with breathing exercises in patients with COPD. ⋯ Improvements in 6MWT results, pulmonary function and CAT scores are associated with a successful response to breathing against PEEPi in patients with COPD.