Effect of Balloon-Blowing on Dyspnea and Oxygenation in Noncritical Adult Covid-19 Patients: A Pilot Study
Mohammad Bargahi1*, Nafiseh Rastgoo1, Farzane Aryanejad1, Sohrab Esmaielzade1, Roomina Nemati2, Mehdi Ghaebi1, Arezoo Bajelan1 and Soheil Soltani1
1Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
2Roomina Nemati, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
Citation: Bargahi M, Rastgoo N, Aryanejad F, Esmaielzade S, Nemati R et al (2021) Effect of Balloon-Blowing on Dyspnea and Oxygenation in Noncritical Adult Covid-19 Patients: A Pilot Study. SciTech Central COVID-19.
Received: September 30, 2021 Accepted: October 04, 2021 Published: October 04, 2021
Abstract
Dyspnea and decreased O2 saturation are the most common causes of hospitalization in noncritical covid-19 patients. Breathing exercises and chest physiotherapy are used for managing the patients. These treatments are however not well supported by scientific evidence. In a randomized controlled trial, 80 patients were randomly assigned to planned breathing-exercise (n=40) and control groups (n=40). The participants in the intervention group were instructed to blow into a balloon five times a day while lying down. Other therapies were similar in both groups. The severity of dyspnea at rest/after activity and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) with/without O2 therapy were compared between the two groups on the first, second, and third days. The study findings showed no statistically significant difference in SpO2 with/without O2 therapy on the first, second, and third days between the two groups. Although the severity of dyspnea showed no significant difference between the two groups, the mean score of dyspnea at rest (2.72±2.25 vs. 1.6±1.21, p=0.007) and after activity (4.53±2.04 vs. 3.52±1.66, P=0.017) improved in the intervention group on the third day. Balloon-blowing exercise improves dyspnea in noncritical Covid-19 patients, but it does not significantly improve oxygenation.
Keywords: Breathing exercises, Balloon-blowing, BBE, Chest physiotherapy, Covid-19, Dyspnea, oxygenation, Pulmonary rehabilitation
Abbreviations: BBE = Balloon-Blowing Exercise, SpO2 = Peripheral Oxygen Saturation