A comparative study of the expectoration effect by breath training device and pursed lip breathing in patients with AECOPD

Objective To observe and compare the expectoration effect of breath training device and the pursed lip breathing in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Methods Forty patients hospitalized because of AECOPD were consecutively observed from March 2018 to May 2018.The patients were randomly divided into two groups in which sputum inducted respectively by breath training device or pursed lip breathing for observing the expectoration effect of the breath training device and the pursed lip breathing. Results During the intervention period of both breath training device and pursed lip breathing, the total volumes expelled and their pure sputum volumes of the two groups were significantly higher than those before the intervention (breath training device group: all P<0.01; pursed lip breathing group: all P<0.05), and the increase of sputum volume by breath training device was more significant than that by pursed lip breathing (P< 0.05); the ratio of sputum water component volume to total sputum volume in the breath training device group was also significantly increased than that before the intervention (P<0.01). The cough difficulty and sputum properties in the breath training device group were significantly improved compared with those before intervention (all P<0.05), and the viscosity of sputum in the trainer group was higher than that before intervention (P<0.05), but all of cough difficulty, sputum properties and viscosity of sputum did not in the pursed lip breathing group.After finishing of the intervention, the total sputum volume and pure sputum volume in the two groups were lower than those before the intervention.Although the viscosity of sputum in the two groups were higher than those before intervention, and the viscosity of sputum in the breath training device group was much higher than that in the pursed lip breathing group, the cough difficulty and sputum properties were significantly improved than those before and during the intervention. Conclusions Both breath training device and the pursed lip breathing can help patients with AECOPD to expel phlegm.Breath training device can promote the hydration of phlegm, improve the characteristics of phlegm and speed up the discharge of phlegm. Key words: Respiratory rehabilitation; Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Expectoration; Pursed lip breathing