Investigation of Efficiency of Breathing With Different Breathing Patterns

Massachusetts General Hospital26 enrolled

Overview

Our aim in this study is to investigate the efficiency of the breathing with different breathing patterns. Ten volunteers and twenty patients having respiratory problems will be coached on their breathing through specific masks which will provide four different breathing patterns. These patterns will be 1) Breathing in through the nose only and out through the mouth only 2) Breathing in through the mouth only and out through the nose only 3) Breathing in and out through the nose only 4) Breathing in and out through the mouth only The data obtained from volunteers and patients will be compared within and between the groups.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Respiratory Physiology Respiratory Insufficiency Breathing Patterns

Interventions

Breathing PatternsOTHER

All subjects will breathe in four different breathing patterns which are provided by specific masks. Patterns are as the following: 1. Breathing in through the nose only and out through the mouth only 2. Breathing in through the mouth only and out through the nose only 3. Breathing in and out through the nose only 4. Breathing in and out through the mouth only

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * For healthy subjects: 1\. Ten healthy adult (\> 18 years of age) volunteers will be recruited from the MGH main campus through intra-hospital e-mail broadcasting. Subjects with the following issues will be excluded from the study. * For patients with respiratory insufficiency: 1. Twenty adult (\> 18 years of age) patients will be recruited. These patients will be either patients in acute respiratory failure resulting from COPD exacerbation breathing spontaneously only receiving nasal oxygen admitted to the medical floors of the MGH; or patients with diagnosed stable COPD on home oxygen therapy seen by pulmonary physicians in the outpatient clinics or coming to the MGH as study subjects. Exclusion Criteria: * For healthy volunteers: 1. Subjects with facial deformity, heavy beard or moustache which prevents good seal between the mask and the face; 2. Subjects who have claustrophobia and cannot wear the mask. * For patients with respiratory insufficiency: 1. Patients with facial deformity, heavy beard or moustache which prevents a good seal between the mask and the face; 2. Patients who have claustrophobia and cannot wear the mask. 3. Patients who are hemodynamically unstable. 4. Patients requiring continuous noninvasive positive pressure ventilation or endotracheal intubation.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Determining the anatomic dead space change at variable tidal volumes with four different breathing patterns (nose-in and nose-out, mouth-in and mouth-out, nose-in and mouth-out, mouth-in and nose-out) in healthy volunteers.

Time frame: 3 months

Comparing the efficiency of CO2 removal at given minute ventilations with the four different breathing patterns in patients with chronic respiratory failure.

Time frame: 6 months

Secondary Outcomes

Comparing the efficiency of the study mask which forces subjects to breathe in a manner similar to pursed lip breathing and a regular facemask in healthy volunteers and patients with respiratory failure