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CARE OF PATIENT WITH
RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS
PREPARED BY
JANNET REENA PURANI
TERMINOLOGIES
 Dyspnea derives from Greek for “hard breathing”. It is often also described as
“shortness of breath”. This is a subjective sensation of breathing, from mild
discomfort to feelings of suffocation.
 Hypoxia: decreased oxygen supply in the tissues
 Hypoxemia: decreased oxygen supply in the blood.
 Apnea: absence of breathing
 Tachypnoea: increased respiratory rate
 Bradypnoea: decreased respiratory rate
COMMON CAUSES OF RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS
 Cardiac or Pulmonary diseases
 Allergies like asthma, wheezing
 Nasal obstruction
 Hypoxemia
 Anxiety causing hyperventilation, panic attack
 Chest trauma
 Occupational exposure to dust, chemicals
 Smoking
COMMON RESPIRATORY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
 Dyspnoea/ shortness of breathing
 Wheezing
 Chest pain
 Cough
 Haemoptysis
 Sputum production
 Hyperventilation
COMMON DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATIONS
 Pulmonary function tests
 ABG analysis
 Sputum analysis
 Pulse oximetry
 Thoracentesis
 Imaging studies
 Chest X-ray
 CT scan/MRI
 Fluoroscopic studies
 Bronchoscopy
ASSESSMENT
 Health History: Allergies, Occupation, Lifestyle, Health Habits
 Inspection: Skin color, Level of consciousness, emotional state, characteristics of
respiration
 Palpation: Tenderness, Mass
 Percussion: Resonance of sounds
 Auscultation: Normal and Adventitious breath sounds
MANAGEMENT
 Positioning of the patient
 Oxygen Therapy
 Dry & Moist Inhalation
 Oronasal Suctioning
 Pulmonary rehabilitation
 Deep breathing & coughing exercises
 Spirometry
MANAGEMENT OF A PATIENT WITH DYSPNEA
 Treatment of dyspneoa is directed at cause
 Positioning (sitting up/Fowlers)
 Increasing air movement via fan, open window
 Bedside relaxation
 Quit smoking
 Provide medications like bronchodilators, anti-tussives, anti-cholinergics
 Oxygen supplementation
Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program incorporating exercise and
education to help patients with respiratory illnesses manage
breathing problems, increase stamina, raise energy levels, and
decrease breathlessness. Depending on an individual’s ability to
exercise and the level of which they are able to do exercise or
physical activity, this treatment may be altered. There are a
number of treatments within this plan that can be incorporated,
many of which can be done in the comfort of a home. It mainly
consists of exercise training, energy-conserving techniques,
breathing strategies, nutritional counseling and group support.
BREATHING AND
COUGHING EXERCISES
GOALS OF BREATHING & COUGHING
EXERCISES
 Improve ventilation
 Increase the effectiveness of cough and promote airway clearance
 To prevent post operative pulmonary complications
 To improve the strength endurance coordination of the muscles of ventilation
 Maintain and improve chest and thoracic spine mobility
 Promote relaxation and relive stress
 To teach the patient how to deal with episodes of dyspnea
 Assisting in removal of secretions.
 Correct abnormal breathing patterns and decrease the work of breathing.
 Aid in bronchial hygiene---Prevent accumulation of pulmonary secretions, mobilization of these
secretions, and improve the cough mechanism.
TYPES OF BREATHING EXERCISES
 Abdominal breathing
 Diaphragmatic breathing
 Glossophryngeal breathing
 Pursed lip breathing
 Segmental breathing(costal expansion exercise)
a) Apical breathing
b) Lateral costal expansion
c) Posterior basal expansion
DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
 Diaphragm is the primary muscle for breathing
(inspiration)
 This technique can be used for patients with COPD
and relax the accessory muscles
 It can also be used to mobilize lung secretions.
PROCEDURE
 Prepare the patient in relaxed and comfortable position in which the gravity assist the diaphragm such as
semifowlers position.
 If you notice any accessory muscle activation stop him and do relaxation techniques (shoulder roll or
shrugs coupled with relaxation)
 Place your hands over the rectus abdominis just below the ant: costal margin ask the patient to breath
slowly and deeply via nose by keeping the shoulder relaxed and upper chest quiet allowing the abdominal
to rise now ask him to slowly let all the air out using controlled expiration through mouth.
 Have him to practice this for 2-4 times if he finds any difficulty in using diaphragm have the patient inhale
several times in succession through the nose by using sniffing action this facilitates the diaphragm
 For self monitor have the patients hand over the ant costal margin and feel the movt: (hand rise and fall)
by placing one hand over abdomen he can also feel the contraction of abdominal muscles which occurs
with controlled expiration or coughing
 After he understands and able to do the controlled breathing using a diaphragmatic pattern keep the
shoulder relaxed and practice in verity of positions (supine sitting standing) and during activity (walking
and climbing stair).
Resisted diaphragmatic breathing
 Patient may use small weight, such as sandbag to strengthen and improve the
endurance of the diaphragm
 Have the patient in a head up position
 Place a small weight (1.30- 2.20 kg or 3-5 lb) over the epigastric region of his
abdomen.
 Tell the patient to breath in deeply while trying to keep the upper chest quiet
 Gradually increase the time that the patient breaths against the resistance of
weight
 Weight can be increased when he can sustain diaphragmatic breathing pattern
with out the use of any accessory muscles of inspiration for 15minuts.
Glossopharyngeal breathing
 It is a means of increasing a patients inspiratory capacity when there is a
severe weakness of the muscle of inspiration
 It is taught to patients who have difficulty in deep breathing.
 It is used primarily for ventilatory dependent patients due to absent or
incomplete innervation of diaphragm because of high cervical cord injury or
neuromuscular disorders.
 Glossopharyngeal breathing with inspiratory action of neck muscles can
reduce ventilatory dependence or can be used as an emergency procedure
for malfunctioning of ventilator.
PROCEDURE
 Patient take several gulp of air (6 to 10), then by closing the
mouth the tongue pushes the air back and trap it in the
pharynx the air is then forced to lungs when the glottis is
opened.
 This increases the depth of inspiration & patient’s
inspiratory & vital capacity.
PURSED LIP BREATHING
 Pursed-lip breathing is a strategy that involves lightly pursing the lips together
during controlled exhalation.
 Taught to patients with COPD to deal with episodes of dyspnea.
 It helps to Improves ventilation and Releases trapped air in the lungs.
 Keeps the airways open longer and Prolonged exhalation slows the breathing
rate.
 It moves old air out of the lungs and allow new air to enter the lungs.
PROCEDURE
 Patient in a comfortable position and relaxed, explain the patent about the expiration
phase (it should be relaxed and passive).
 Abdominal muscle contraction must be avoided (therapist hand over the patients
abdominal to check for contraction).
 Ask the patient to breathe in slowly and deeply through the nose and then breathe out
gently through lightly pursed lips (blowing on and bending the flame of a candle ).
 By providing slight resistance an increased positive pressure will generate with in the
airway which helps to keep open small bronchioles that otherwise collapse.
 It can be applied as a 3-5 minutes “rescue exercise” or an Emergency Procedure to
counteract acute exacerbations or dyspnea (shortage of air or breathlessness) in
COPD and asthma.
SEGMENTAL BREATHING
 It is performed on a segment of lung, or a section of chest wall that needs increased ventilation
or movement.
 Hypoventilation occur in certain areas of the lungs because of chest wall fibrosis, pain after
surgery, atelectasis , trauma to chest wall, pneumonia and post mastectomy scar
 Therefore, it will be important to emphasize expansion of such areas of the lungs and chest
wall
ADVANTAGES OF SEGMENTAL BREATHING:
 Prevent accumulation of pleural fluid and secretions
 Decreases paradoxical breathing
 Decrease panic episode
 Improve chestmobility
Techniques
 Lateral costal expansion
 Posterior basal expansion
 Right middle lobe or lingula expansion
 Apical expansion
Lateral costal expansion
 This is sometimes called lateral basal expansion and may be done unilaterally or
bilaterally.
 The patient may be sitting or in a hook lying position.
 Place your hands along the lateral aspect of the lower ribs.
 Ask the patient to breathe out, and feel the rib cage move downward and inward.
 As the patient breathes out, place firm downward pressure into the ribs with the palms
of your hands.
 Just prior to inspiration, apply a quick downward and inward stretch to the chest. This
places a quick stretch on the external intercostals to facilitate their contraction. These
muscles move the ribs outward and upward during inspiration.
 Apply light manual resistance to the
lower ribs to increase sensory awareness
as the patient breathes in deeply and the
chest expands.
 When the patient breathes out, assist by
gently squeezing the rib cage in a
downward and inward direction.
 The patient may then taught to perform
the maneuver independently, ask him to
apply resistance with his hand or with a
towel.
Bilateral lateral costal expansion-supine
Bilateral lateral costal expansion-sitting
 BELT EXERCISES TO
REINFORCE LATERAL COSTAL
BREATHING
(A)by applying resistance during
inspiration
(B)by assisting with pressure along the rib
cage during expiration.
Posterior basal expansion
 This form of segmental breathing is important for the post surgical patients
who is in bed in a semi- reclining position for an extended period of time.
 Secretion often accumulate over the posterior segments of lower lobes.
Procedure
 Have the patient sit and lean forward on a pillow, slightly bending the hips.
 Place the PT hand over the posterior aspect of the lower rib and do the same
procedure in lateral costal expansion.
Right middle lobe or lingula expansion
 While the patient in sitting place
your hand at either the right or
left side of the patient’s chest just
below the axilla, and follow the
same procedure in lateral costal
expansion.
Apical expansion
Coughing and Sputum Clearance
 Cough and sputum are two other symptoms of your disease.
Coughing is important because it helps remove sputum from
your lungs. When sputum is removed you can breathe easier. It
is helpful to cough early in the day to remove the sputum that
has built up during the night. It is also helpful to cough well,
about a half an hour before lunch and supper; it may help
make your meal more enjoyable. Before going out, cough to
clear any sputum. You will be less likely to cough while you are
out. There are also devices that may be suitable for you. These
devices help in the movement of sputum. Consult a health care
professional about the use of these.
Controlled Cough Technique Practice
 1. Sit comfortably with your feet resting firmly on the floor, and lean forward
slightly.
 2. Take three to four deep diaphragmatic breaths before coughing.
 3. Take a deep breath, hold your breath for three seconds, tighten your abdominal
muscles and cough twice. The first cough will loosen your sputum. The second
cough will move the sputum high in your throat.
 4. Spit it into a piece of tissue and check the color. If it is a yellow, green or red in
colour, talk to your doctor. Throw the tissue away.
 5. Take a break and repeat once or twice if you do not cough up any sputum.
Watch a video on Breathing and coughing exercises
https://youtu.be/KQCQHHRWCms
Relaxation Positions to Reduce Shortness
of Breath
COPING WITH SHORTNESS OF BREATH
Care of patient with respiratory problems