CONCLUSION There was no evidence to support the use of incentive spirometry in the management of surgical patients .
OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review to evaluate the evidence of the use of incentive spirometry ( IS ) for the prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications and for the recovery of pulmonary function in patients undergoing abdominal , cardiac and thoracic surgeries .
Incentive spirometry versus routine chest physiotherapy for prevention of pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery
We entered 876 patients into a clinical trial aim ed at preventing pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery . Patients either received conventional chest physiotherapy or were encouraged to perform maximal inspiratory manoeuvres for 5 min during each hour while awake , using an incentive spirometer . The incidence of pulmonary complications did not differ significantly between the groups : incentive spirometry 68 of 431 ( 15.8 % , 95 % CI 14.0 - 17.6 % ) , and chest physiotherapy 68 of 445 ( 15.3 % , CI 13.6 - 17.0 % ) . Nor was there a difference between the groups in the incidence of positive clinical signs , pyrexia , abnormal chest radiographs , pathogens in sputum , respiratory failure ( PO2 less than 60 mm Hg ) , or length of stay in hospital . We conclude that prophylactic incentive spirometry and chest physiotherapy are of equivalent clinical efficacy in the general management of patients undergoing abdominal surgery
CONCLUSION There was no evidence to support the use of incentive spirometry in the management of surgical patients .
OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review to evaluate the evidence of the use of incentive spirometry ( IS ) for the prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications and for the recovery of pulmonary function in patients undergoing abdominal , cardiac and thoracic surgeries .