Effects of deep breathing exercise and ambulation on pattern of ventilation in post-operative patients

Deep breathing and ambulation are used by physiotherapists for patients after surgery, however the precise effects of these on ventilation have not been investigated. This study was designed to compare the effects of deep breathing and ambulation on pattern of breathing in patients after upper abdominal surgery. A similar increase was found in minute ventilation, however the pattern of breathing seen during each treatment was very different. During the deep breathing exercises patients had large, significant increases in tidal volume (mean change 488.5ml), while respiratory rate decreased non-significantly. By comparison, ambulation caused small and non-significant increases in both tidal volume (163.4ml) and respiratory rate. It appears that if one of the aims of ambulation is to increase tidal volume, patients may need to be encouraged to augment their tidal volumes.