Effects of the Active Cycle of Breathing Technique With and Without Balloon Blowing Therapy in Tuberculosis

Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) is still a major health concern, especially in underdeveloped nations. Poor lung function, sputum retention, and dyspnea are common in children with tuberculosis (TB), which can limit their physical activity and quality of life. Physiotherapy treatments are essential for controlling these problems. An effective airway clearance technique that improves ventilation and mucus mobilization is the Active Cycle of Breathing Techniques (ACBT). Similarly, balloon therapy has been shown to strengthen respiratory muscles and alleviate dyspnea. Both interventions are low-cost, non-invasive, and feasible for implementation across diverse clinical and community settings. Although these therapies are successful when used separately, their combined effect on the therapy of pediatric tuberculosis has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the Effect of the Active cycle of breathing technique with and without balloon blowing therapy on sputum secretion, dyspnea and functional capacity in children with tuberculosis The study design will be a randomized controlled trial. The data will be collected from Gulab Devi Teaching Hospital, Lahore. 34 kids aged 8 to 14 years will be randomly assigned either to an experimental group (n=17) or a control group (n=17). The intervention group includes the active Cycle of Breathing technique with balloon-blowing therapy for 3 days. The control group includes the active cycle of breathing technique. Sputum secretion will be measured by 'sputum measurement cups." Dyspnea will be measured by the "Modified Borg Scale," and functional capacity will be measured by the "6-Minute Walk Test." Data will be analyzed through SPSS version 25.0.

Inclusion criteria

• Children aged 8 to14 years
• Diagnosed with tuberculosis
• Patients with excessive pulmonary secretions and/or difficulty clearing airway secretions.
• Adequate cognitive ability to understand and follow verbal commands and perform ACBT.
• Informed consent from parent/guardian

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosed with multi-drug-resistant (MDR) TB
• Presence of hemoptysis
• The patient who is unconscious and unresponsive.
• Received physical therapy intervention in the past 2 weeks