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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06078644

Respiratory Exercise Diary in Major Abdominal Surgery

Postoperative pulmonary complications are common and lead to increased morbidity and mortality in patients. These complications are observed especially after major surgical interventions. Breathing exercises performed with or without the use of a device are extremely important in preventing postoperative pulmonary complications. Breathing exercises that increase total lung capacity by encouraging the use of the diaphragm reverse alveolar collapse and postoperative hypoxemia. This study aim to determine the effect of postoperative respiratory exercise diary use in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery on dyspnea, fatigue, respiratory parameters (respiratory rate, SPO2, cough, sputum), early pulmonary complications, spirometry use and functional capacity.The research is planned to be conducted in a single-blind, randomized controlled manner. In the study, 60 patients (30 intervention and 30 control) who underwent major abdominal surgery will be included.Data will be collected using the Patient Introduction Form, Visual Analogue Scale, Medical Research Board Scale, 2-minute walk test, breathing exercise diary and patient follow-up chart.Patients in the intervention and control groups will be visited by the researcher for 3 postoperative days, respiratory parameters, cough, and sputum status will be recorded in the patient follow-up chart, and the use of a respiratory exercise diary will be evaluated.

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Key information

Conditions

Pulmonary Complication Dyspnea Fatigue Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Respiration Disorders Respiratory Tract Diseases Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Erciyes University

Kayseri, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Undergoing elective surgery
  • Receiving general anesthesia
  • Having major abdominal surgery (colorectal surgery, gastrectomy, liver resection, pancreatectomy)
  • Staying in the general surgery service for at least 3 days after the surgery
  • Becoming literate

Exclusion criteria

  • Psychoactive drug use
  • Having Alzheimer's or dementia
  • Having chronic respiratory diseases (COPD, asthma)

Treatment and study plan

respiratory exercise diary

Other

Patients in the intervention group will be asked to perform breathing exercises in the form of using a spirometer 10 times every hour during the preoperative period while they are awake for three days, starting from the first day after the surgery. Patients in this group will be given a breathing exercise diary.

Primary outcomes

  1. Spirometry use

    Time frame: 1-3 days

    The respiratory exercise diary was prepared in line with the literature for patients to record the time, number and frequency of breathing exercises they performed using a spirometer. There is an illustrated information note to remind you how and how often the spirometer should be used, and a chart where patients will write the number and frequency of exercises they did with the spirometry for three days before and after the surgery, opposite the relevant clock.

Secondary outcomes

  1. dyspnea

    Time frame: 1-3 days

    The presence of dyspnea will be evaluated using the Medical Research Board Scale (MAKS). This scale is a five-item scale based on various physical activities that create a feeling of dyspnea. Here, patients are asked to mark the level of activity that causes dyspnea. MAX is easy to administer because it allows patients to indicate the extent to which shortness of breath affects their mobility.

  2. fatigue

    Time frame: 1-3 days

    In the study, fatigue severity will be evaluated using a visual analog scale. The range of 0 and 10 cm is determined on a line. In the fatigue severity assessment, 0 (zero) means "I do not feel tired" and 10 means "I feel very tired." An increase in score indicates that the patient's fatigue severity is increasing.

  3. Pulmonary functional capacity

    Time frame: 1-3 days

    In the 2-minute walk test, two points are selected 30 meters away from each other and a mark is placed every 3 meters. The patient walks quickly within 2 minutes and the distance traveled is recorded. Walking tests used to assess functional capacity are simple, inexpensive and safe performance-based tests that provide information about individuals' functional exercise capacity compared to laboratory-based aerobic capacity indices such as cycling, treadmill and arm ergometry, which are expensive and not always available.

  4. Respiratory rate

    Time frame: 1-3 days

    Preoperative and postoperative respiratory rate will be recorded in the patient follow-up chart.

  5. Oxygen saturation

    Time frame: 1-3 days

    Preoperative and postoperative oxygen saturation will be recorded in the patient follow-up chart.

  6. Cough

    Time frame: 1-3 days

    The presence of cough after surgery will be recorded in the patient follow-up chart.

  7. Mucus

    Time frame: 1-3 days

    The presence of mucus after surgery will be recorded in the patient follow-up chart.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

TC Erciyes University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effect of Respiratory Exercise Diary Use on Pulmonary Complications and Functional Capacity in Major Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Study

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Oct 12, 2023
Registry last updated
Apr 14, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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