Lung Expansion Therapy for the Potential Populations: A Literature Review

TL;DR

This review explores lung expansion therapies for patients with ineffective coughing, focusing on techniques like balloon blowing and incentive spirometry to improve lung function and reduce hospital stays.

Contribution

The paper provides a structured overview of manual and mechanical lung expansion methods for diverse patient populations, highlighting their effectiveness and gaps in evidence.

Findings

Balloon-blowing exercises and incentive spirometry improved diaphragm mobility and pulmonary function.

Lung expansion therapies reduced hospitalization length and postoperative complications in various patient groups.

Current evidence is insufficient to fully support long-term recovery outcomes for all populations.

Abstract

Secretion retention, atelectasis, and reduced lung compliance occur when endotracheal or tracheostomised patients cough ineffectively. There is a possibility of infection if the collapsed regions of the lungs are not reinflated. Therefore, to improve clinical outcomes, such as diaphragm mobility and thickness, lung volume, and thickness of the abdominal muscles, and decrease the length of hospitalizations, mechanical and manual techniques, such as balloon blowing exercises and incentive spirometer, are required. PubMed, Google Scholar, Pedro, Clinical Keys, Helinet, ProQuest, and Science Direct databases were used for the literature search considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The several manual and mechanical methods that were employed for lung expansion treatment for the potential populations are highlighted in this overview of the literature. Ten studies were considered in this review: five on balloon-blowing exercises, four on tracheostomy with incentive spirometry exercises, and one on incentive spirometry with balloon-blowing exercises. The effects were examined on individual outcomes that included rate of perceived exertion (RPE), diaphragm mobility, pulmonary function, volume of breath, length of hospitalization, and postoperative day complications. The structured protocols proved to be effective in improving lung expansion and pulmonary function for the potential population that involved healthy adults, noncritical COVID-19 adults, smokers, thoracotomy patients, and tracheostomised patients. The road to recovery is yet unexplored and underachieved because of the lack of evidence.

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