All COPD patients admitted with an acute
exacerbation in the respiratory intensive care unit
(RICU) were given usual treatment as per the standard
protocol,1
including conventional chest physiotherapy
with postural drainage, huffing and coughing,
diaphragmatic breathing, and inhaled bronchodilators.
An acute exacerbation meant an event resulting in
increase in the patients’ symptoms of cough, sputum
and breathlessness which was beyond the normal day
to day variations, was acute in onset and warranted a
change in the routine treatment of COPD.6
As the
patients improved, they were alternately assigned to
intervention group (n=15) and control group (n=15),
respectively. The inclusion criteria consisted of: COPD –
GOLD stage II to IV1
; either gender; age 40 – 70 years;
currently non-smoker; no history of atopy and a firm
commitment to co-operate through the study period.
Patients with evidence of persistent sepsis,
haemoglobin less than 10 g/dL, heart or renal failure,
tuberculosis or lung cancer were excluded.