Effects of Pursed-lip Breathing on Exercise Tolerance and Dynamic Hyperinflation in COPD

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Status: Completed

Conditions: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Treatments: Behavioral: Normal Breathing; Behavioral: Pursed-lip breathing

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01173328

CEP/HUCFF/UFRJ 187/07

Details and patient eligibility

About

Pursed-lip breathing (PLB) has been advocated to reduce respiratory rate and improve oxygen saturation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at rest. Although PLB is a strategy that potentially reduces expiratory flow limitation, there are only few studies addressing its effects on exercise.

This study aimed to assess the ability of PLB to change the breathing pattern, degree of dynamic hyperinflation (DH) and arterial oxygenation in COPD patients during exercise. Exercise tolerance was evaluated by endurance time and respiratory mechanics was evaluated by forced oscillation technique.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 40+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Clinical diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Regular treatment at Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital (UFRJ)

Exclusion criteria

• Exacerbation in the preceding 4 weeks
• SpO2<85% at peak exercise
• Other diseases that may contribute to dyspnea and exercise intolerance

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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40 participants in 1 patient group

Pursed-lip Breathing

Experimental group

Treatment:

Behavioral: Pursed-lip breathing

Behavioral: Normal Breathing