Introduction: The impact of breathing pattern in the workload of the respiratory muscles is a
controversy still unresolved and it is important for the treatment of patients with lung diseases as
well as the failure of the chest muscle. The ventilatory response in patients with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by a rapid and shallow than that of
healthy people during exercise. Objectives: To describe and analyze the relationship between
breathing pattern and spirometric data of patients with chronic lung diseases, as well as separately
in patients with asthma and COPD. Methods: It was conducted a cross-sectional study with a
descriptive and analytical character with 100 patients over 18 years of age, treated at the
Pulmonology Clinic of the University Hospital João de Barros Barreto with bronchial asthma and
COPD in the period from May to July 2011 analyzing gender, age, education, occupation, origin,
life style and personal history, presence or absence of symptoms related to the respiratory system,
respiratory pattern and spirometric data. Results: The majority were female, had 60 years or
more, was a native of Pará, with a predominance coming of Belém, 53% of patients had a
profession, about two thirds had an incomplete primary education, 57% one to two health
antecedents, almost 90% had no environmental control. More than half reported cough, dyspnea,
and 42% fatigue, almost half were ex-smokers, two thirds had decreased respiratory amplitude
and one third with barrel chest. Almost 75% had costal breathing pattern, with the percentage of
PRE-BD FEV1 compared with the predicted having statistical significance in the relationship
under study (spirometry versus breathing pattern). 41% of patients had bronchial asthma and
costal breathing pattern, existing significance into the same variable of the overall study
population. 32% had COPD and costal breathing pattern, with no signficance in any variable
studied in the relationship under study. Conclusion: Most patients have costal breathing pattern,
placing them in a category subject to modification of standard muscle training in respiratory
therapy. We observe a possible relationship between the use of abdominal muscles in the
composition of the breathing pattern of asthmatic patients and better performance on spirometric
variable that classifies the severity of the disease. No such relationship was observed in patients
with COPD.
|
