1Associate Professor, Medical Trust Institute of Medical Sciences, Cochin
2Head of, Physiotherapy Department, Caritas Hospital, Kottayam, Kerala
*Corresponding author: Dr. Princy Mathew (Pt) Assoc. Professor, Medical Trust Institute of Medical Science, College of Physiotherapy, Sea-port Air Port Road, Irimpanam-682309, Kochi. Email: princybruces@gmail.com, Phone: 9446 582509
Online published on 17 October, 2016.
Physiotherapy for patients after upper abdominal surgery consists of interventions to improve cardiopulmonary function and to reduce postoperative pulmonary complications. Flutter device, a new mechanical device, has been shown to be effective in improving pulmonary function.
To explore the efficacy of flutter device in improving lung volume among post upper abdominal surgery patients.
Thirty patients after upper abdominal surgery were recruited using convenient sampling method. The control group A with 15 subjects received conventional chest physiotherapy and the experimental group B received both the conventional and flutter therapy. Treatment was given for 7 post operative days from 3rd day to 10th day, twice daily with a duration of 30 minutes. Post operative pre test and post test values (Forced vital capacity, Forced Expiratory Volume in one second and Peak Expiratory Flow rate) of patients were assessed on 3 postoperative day and 10th day of surgery.
The study showed significant improvement in the Forced Vital Capacity as shown by the results of the group B (mean of 2.8500 ± 0.7056) than that of the group A (mean of 1.5067 ± 0.8386). Forced expiratory volume in one second in the group B showed improvement (2.6787±0.4265) than the group A (mean of 1.5833 ± 0.2649). Peak expiratory flow rate was also significant in group B (mean of 3.4147 ± 0.8419) than the group A(mean of 2.4887 ± 1.2683).
Flutter could be used an adjunct to conventional physiotherapy in postoperative upper abdominal surgery patients for improving lung volume.
Flutter device, conventional physiotherapy, Pulmonary function test (PFT)
