The Effect of Breathing Exercise by Using Incentive Spirometry on Dyspnea Severity after Sternotomy

Dyspnea is a common adverse effect after sternotomy. It can linger for weeks or months, although the symptoms usually lessen with time. Open heart surgery can improve health, vitality, and quality of life. However, the operation can cause a variety of adverse effects including shortness of breath (dyspnea). Aim: Evaluate the effect of breathing exercise by using incentive spirometry on dyspnea severity after sternotomy. Design: A quasi-experimental research design was used to achieve the aim of this study. Subject: A purposive sample of 60 adult patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria from both genders after sternotomy were involved in this study and divided into two equal groups (30 patients in each group). Setting: The research was carried out in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) at the Cardiothoracic Academy within Ain Shams University. Tools: three tools were used for data collection Tool I: Patient's demographic characteristics and health status assessment questionnaire. Tool II: Postoperative hemodynamic status, Blood Gases and chest auscultation sound assessment questionnaire. Tool III: Dyspnea severity score tool. The results: There was a statistically significant difference regarding severity of dyspnea between the control and study group, in which the study group showed lower severity of dyspnea in comparison to control group. Conclusion: Incentive spirometry has demonstrated a positive effect on reducing dyspnea severity following sternotomy by promoting lung expansion, improving pulmonary function, and preventing postoperative complications. Recommendations: Postoperative incentive spirometry could be routinely nursing care regularly throughout the day for patients after sternotomy.