To investigate the effect of deep breathing and encouraged coughing on the arterial oxygenation in patients following upper abdominal surgery under general anesthesia, 80 patients were chosen and divided into 4 groups according to the therapy
modalities
given during the recovery room care; group 1: spontaneous recovery, group 2: oxygen, group 3: cough with deep breathing, and group 4: oxygen plus cough with deep breathing. Oxygen saturation (SpO2 by pulse oximeter) was monitored before
anesthesia
(control) and over a 24 hour period after operation. SpO2 values decreased on arrival in the recovery room after anesthesia in all groups (P<0.05). As patients awakened from anesthesia in the recovery room, SpO2 values were progressively
increased
to
near preanesthetic values in the non-oxygen groups (Group 1, 3) and increased even above preanesthtic values in the oxygen groups (Group 2, 4) SpO2 values at 24 hours after operation were 97.0% in Group 1, 96.9% in Group 2, 97.8% in Group 3, and
97.5%
in Group 4; therefore Group 3 had the highest value of SpO2 (P<0.05).
In conclusion, deep breathing with cough encouragement in the recovery room seemed to be associated with better oxygenation 24 hours postanesthetically than supplemental oxygen of natural recovery groups.
|