Investigating the effect of simultaneous implementation of breathing and movement exercises on the ability of lungs to expand in patients with chest tube: a quasi- experimental study

Abstract

Abstract Background Insertion of chest tube can lead to many complications in lung cancer patients who have undergone lung surgery. Since non-pharmacological measures such as breathing and movement exercises can be a suitable alternative to drug therapy, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of simultaneous implementation of breathing and movement exercises on the ability of lungs to expand in patients with chest tubes after lung cancer surgery. Methods This study is a quasi-experimental study that was conducted on 80 participants who had been divided into two groups (n = 40 each). At first, the information related to spirometry values was gathered from the patient's file, and then the amount and characteristics of secretions accumulated in the chest tube bottle, and also the time of chest tube removal were recorded daily. Before removing the chest tube, a spirometry test was performed once again. Patients in the intervention group received the breathing and movement exercises after the surgery. Data collection was done by a researcher-made questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16, using inferential statistics. Results A statistically significant difference was observed between two groups in terms of the amount of lung secretions after the interventions. Also, no significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of the mean scores of spirometry values. Conclusion Since performing breathing and movement exercises simultaneously had a positive effect on the ability of lungs to expand. Trial registration numbers: The protocol of this clinical trial has been registered in the Iranian Clinical Trial Registration Center (registration code: IRCT20190427043397N1). Registered 26 July 2019- Retrospectively registered, https://www.irct.ir/.