The effect of incentive spirometry on respiratory function after upper abdominal surgeryin 26 patients with continuous epidural analgesia was assessed and compared with that of deep breathing exercises. Patients were prospectively randomized into one of three groups the DB group (9 patients) carried out deep breathing exercises 10 times daily, while the TFI group (8 patients) and the TF II group (9 patients) were treated with incentive spirometry for 5min 5 and 10 times daily, respectively, through the third postoperative day. Respiratory function was evaluated by spirometry and BGA. Pain score based on Prince Henry pain scale and visual pain scale showed good analgesia in the 3 groups without any significant differences through the third postoperative day. Among the 3 groups, no significant statisti-cal difference was observed in VC, FEV
1.0 or PEFR, which decreased to 50% of the preoper-ative value on the first postoperative day and gradually recovered to 80% of the preoper-ative value by the tenth postoperative day. PaO
2 decreased more in the DB group and the TF II group than in the TF I group through the third postoperative day, but there was no significant difference between the 3 groups. The effect of incentive spirometry on respira-tory function in patients after upper abdominal surgery may show no difference whether 5 times or 10 times daily, and may be similar to that of deep breathing exercises under the condition of sufficient analgesia by continuous epidural analgesia.
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