The most common symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is shortness of breath and causes a decrease in the patient's quality of life. The best way to relieve shortness of breath is inhaler therapy. However, it is known that patients frequently apply this treatment incorrectly. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of breathing exercises and inhaler training for COPD patients on the severity of dyspnea and life quality. For this, two patient groups with a total of 67 people were included in the study. While one group was trained on inhaler drug use, the other group was taught breathing exercises in addition to the inhaler drug use training. Patients were asked to continue the practices they learned regularly for 4 weeks. At the end of the study, it was observed that shortness of breath decreased and the quality of life increased in both patient groups.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
67
This training was given to both intervention groups. How the patients used their inhaler medication was evaluated. The steps to use the correct inhaler medication were taught sequentially. It was applied with the patient. At the end of the training, brochures prepared by the researchers were given to the patients.
This training was given only to the group that received breathing exercise and inhaler training. Pursed lips breathing exercises were taught to the patients. Patients were asked to continue their breathing exercise for 10 minutes before using their inhaler medication. Thus, it was evaluated whether breathing exercises performed before using inhaler drugs provided benefit on drug effectiveness.
Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Faculty of Health Sciences
Kırşehir, Centrum, Turkey (Türkiye)
Patient Information Form
Consisted of 19 questions including sociodemographic and disease features of the patients
Time frame: It was administered to patients in both groups when they were first included in the study.
Breathing Exercise and Inhaler Application Skill Chart
Consisted of 18 items including the steps of breathing exercises and inhaler utilization to be applied to breathing exercises and inhaler group.
Time frame: It was administered to patients in breathing ezercises and inhaler training group when they were first enrolled in the study.
Inhaler Application Skill Chart
Consisted of 10 items including only the skill of applying inhaler to be applied to the both group. Correct steps were evaluated as 1 point and wrong steps as 0 points. It was administered to patients when they were first enrolled in the study and when they came for control four weeks later.
Time frame: It was administered to patients in inhaler training group when they were first enrolled in the study.
COPD assessment test (CAT)
The scale developed by Jones et al. (2009) is used to measure the health status of individuals with COPD.
Time frame: It was administered to patients in both groups when they were first enrolled in the study.
St. George's respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ)
It is a quality of life questionnaire specific to patients with COPD developed by Jones and Forde (2008).
Time frame: It was administered to patients in both groups when they were first enrolled in the study.
Modified medical research council (mMRC)
It was developed by the British Medical Research Council in order to provide information about the degree of dyspnea experienced by the patient based on the patient's activity and the patient's perception of the disease. As it is a one-dimensional scale Cronbach's α coefficient could not be calculated.
Time frame: It was administered to patients in both groups when they were first enrolled in the study.
COPD assessment test (CAT)
The scale developed by Jones et al. (2009) is used to measure the health status of individuals with COPD.
Time frame: It was administered to patients in both groups when they came for control four weeks later.
Breathing Exercise and Inhaler Application Skill Chart
Consisted of 18 items including the steps of breathing exercises and inhaler utilization to be applied to breathing exercises and inhaler group.
Time frame: It was administered to patients in breathing ezercises and inhaler training group when they came for control four weeks later.
Inhaler Application Skill Chart
Consisted of 10 items including only the skill of applying inhaler to be applied to the both group. Correct steps were evaluated as 1 point and wrong steps as 0 points. It was administered to patients when they were first enrolled in the study and when they came for control four weeks later.
Time frame: It was administered to patients in inhaler training group when they came for control four weeks later.
St. George's respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ)
It is a quality of life questionnaire specific to patients with COPD developed by Jones and Forde (2008).
Time frame: It was administered to patients in both groups when they came for control four weeks later.
Modified medical research council (mMRC)
It was developed by the British Medical Research Council in order to provide information about the degree of dyspnea experienced by the patient based on the patient's activity and the patient's perception of the disease. As it is a one-dimensional scale Cronbach's α coefficient could not be calculated.
Time frame: It was administered to patients in both groups when they came for control four weeks later.
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