Chronic bronchopulmonary diseases are a frequent concomitant pathology which potentially affects the clinical and functional status of patients of different profiles undergoing rehabilitation in hospital, that should be taken into account in planning treatment.

OBJECTIVE

To study the influence of vibroacoustic pulmonary therapy (VAPT) on clinical status and spirometry values of patients undergoing in-patient rehabilitation and with comorbid bronchopulmonary pathology.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We examined 60 patients (18 men (30%) and 42 women (70%)) aged between 18 and 75 years (median age 62 [56; 68] years) with chronic lung diseases (chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), undergoing an in-patient rehabilitation for disorders of the central nervous and musculoskeletal systems. The study group consisted of 30 patients who had a 5-day course of VAPT in the individual medical rehabilitation program; the control group included 30 patients who did not underwent VAPT. Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of respiratory symptoms and parameters of spirometry before and after VAPT course were studied.

RESULTS

In this study 37 (62%) of subjects underwent rehabilitation regarding pathology of the central nervous system, 23 (38%) — regarding musculoskeletal pathology, 40 (67%) had concomitant cardiovascular diseases among all patients. Complaints of dyspnea were presented by 96.7% of patients in the study group and 90% of patients in the control group, mean value of dyspnea intensity on the mMRC scale amounted to 2.1±0.89 and 2.1±0.8 scores, respectively. Cough occurred in 83% of patients in the study group and 80% of patients in the control group, mean value on the 6-score daily and night cough scale was 2.0±1.3 and 1.9±0.84 scores, respectively. There has been a decrease in the number of patients with dyspnea and cough to 83.3 and 66.7%, respectively, a decrease in the dyspnea degree on the mMRC scale by 19% (p<0.05) and the cough severity by 22.3% (p≤0.001) in the study group after VAPT. An increase of the peak expiratory flow rate by 5% (p≤0.05) has been revealed according to spirometry data. No significant improvement of the studied indicators has been achieved in the control group of patients. No serious cardiovascular adverse events and complications have been registered during rehabilitation, the results of the patients’ questionnaire survey characterize the method positively.

CONCLUSION

The performed study’s results, that showed a regression of respiratory symptoms and improvement of pulmonary function during the in-patient rehabilitation of subjects with comorbid chronic bronchopulmonary pathology, allow to consider VAPT as a promising non-drug treatment method in this category of patients.