The Effects of Pulmonary Physical Therapy on the Patients with Respiratory Failure

Background: We aimed to investigate the application effects of pulmonary physical therapy on the patients with respiratory failure.

Methods: Overall, 132 patients with respiratory failure admitted into the Affiliated Hospital of Medical Collage of Ningbo University from 2013-2017 were enrolled and divided into control group (n=66) and observation group (n=66). Patients in the two groups received conventional physical therapy but those in observation group received pulmonary physical therapy additionally. The ventilation and air-exchanging functions, scores of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) and occurrence of complications in patients in the two groups were compared.

Results: PaO2, PaCO2, PaO2/FiO2 and estimated FEV2% were greatly improved in patients in the two groups after treatment and those in patients in observation group were better than those in patients in control group; the differences were statistically significant (P=0.014). There were no statistically significant differences in the scores of APACHE II in patients in the two groups before treatment and at 2 days and 3 days after treatment. Scores of APACHE II of patients in observation group were obviously lower than those of other group at 4 days and 7 days after treatment and the differences were statistically significant (P=0.015, 0.029). The total incidence rates of complications in patients in observation group and control group were 7.57% and 39.39%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.021).

Conclusion: The treatment of respiratory failure patients with pulmonary physical therapy can greatly improve the ventilation and air-exchanging functions, avoid the occurrence of complications and improve the health condition.