ABSTRACT

This study has been done to determine the effects of pursed lip and diaphragmatic breathing exercises on pulmonary functions tests and arteriel blood gas for the patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

The research has been done in GMMA Thorax Diseases and Tuberculosis Clinic. The population of the research has consisted of the patients hospitalised because of COPD in a year. The sample has consisted of the patients with the same problem hospitalised from January 2002 to May 2002. Within this period, the patients hospitalised for the first two weeks of the month have been accepted as control group and the patients hospitalised for the last two weeks have been accepted as case group. Case group has involved 16 patients and control group has involved 18 patients.

Before treatment, blood has been taken from all the patients and arterial blood gas and pulmonary function tests has been done. For the patients in the control group, care and treatment have been applied only in the framework of clinical routine until they have been discharged. The patients in the case group have been done pursed lip and diaphragmatic breathing exercises for ten days. After 10 days, blood has been taken and arterial blood gas and pulmonary functions tests have been done the patients in both groups and the results have been recorded. The data obtained have been evaluated through SPSS 10.0 statistical program.

At the end of the research, it has been found that there has been no significant difference between the case group and control group in terms of arterial blood gas and pulmonary functions tests results. However, after a 10-day breathing exercise period of the case group, it has been revealed that there has been a statistically significant difference (decrease) in the value of PaC02 (z=2.744, p=0.006). It has been explored that there has been a significant decrease in the breathing rate and dyspnea of the patients in the case group. Average hospitalization period of the patients in the control group has been 15 days while it has been 13 days for the case group. It has'nt been statistically significant(z=0.658, p=0.511).