DEEP BREATHING EXERCISE AND ACTIVE RANGE OF MOTION EFFECTIVELY REDUCE DYSPNEA IN CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE PATIENTS

Abstract

Dyspnea is a clinical manifestation of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) due to lack of oxygen supply because of accumulation of fluid in the alveoli. This is an important factor that affects the quality of life of patients. The accumulation makes the heart unable to pump up to the maximum. The effect in respiratory muscle increases the sensation of dyspnea. Non-pharmacological management is measures aimed to maintain physical stability, avoid behaviors that can aggravate the condition, and detect early symptoms of worsening heart failure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of deep breathing exercise and active range of motion on dyspnea in CHF patients. This study was quasi-experiment with pretest-posttest with control group design that involved 32 respondents by stratified random sampling. Modified Borg scale was used as data collecting tool. The intervention of deep breathing exercise was conducted thirty times, and active range of motion was performed five times for each movement. The intervention was done three times a day for 3 days. This study was carried out from April to June 2017 in RS PKU Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta and RS PKU Muhammadiyah Gamping Yogyakarta. Paired t-test showed p<0.001 in the intervention group and p=0.001 in the control group. Mann Whitney test showed that intervention of deep breathing exercise and active range of motion is more effective than hospital standard intervention in decreasing dyspnea (p=0.004; a=0.05). This study recommends the application of deep breathing exercise and active range of motion as a method to reduce dyspnea in patients with CHF.