Breathing pattern in asthmatic patients during exercise

ObjectivesTo study the effect of exercise on asthmatic breathing pattern.BackgroundAsthmatic patients have been reported to be breathless regardless of the degree of airway obstruction. Task performance may induce changes in breathing pattern and these in turn may mediate such a feeling. There is increasing interest in the use of breathing modification techniques in the treatment of asthma.MethodsThis study was conducted on 20 asthmatic patients in stable mild state, they were selected from the Chest Department of the Menoufia University Hospital from February 2014 to September 2014. All patients were subjected to clinical history and examination, plain chest-X-ray (postero-anterior and lateral views), ECG and echo if needed, pulmonary function tests and cardiopulmonary exercise testing.ResultsBreathing pattern parameters tidal volume (VT), respiratory rate (RR), minute ventilation (VE), mean inspiratory flow (VT/TI) increased during exercise then decreased during the recovery period while inspiratory time (TI) and total breath duration (Ttot) decreased during exercise then decreased during the recovery period.There was an increase in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF). Forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) during exercise and a decrease during the recovery period while forced expiratory time (FET100%) showed an opposite change.ConclusionBreathing pattern was altered significantly during exercise in asthmatic patients.