• Georgia Miranda Tomich, Danielle Corrêa França, Marco Túlio Costa Diniz, Raquel Rodrigues Britto, Rosana Ferreira Sampaio, and Verônica Franco Parreira.
• Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
• J Bras Pneumol. 2010 Mar 1; 36 (2): 197-204.

ObjectiveTo evaluate breathing pattern and thoracoabdominal motion during breathing exercises.MethodsTwenty-four patients with class II or III obesity (18 women; 6 men) were studied on the second postoperative day after gastroplasty. The mean age was 37 +/- 11 years, and the mean BMI was 44 +/- 3 kg/m(2). Diaphragmatic breathing, incentive spirometry with a flow-oriented device and incentive spirometry with a volume-oriented device were performed in random order. Respiratory inductive plethysmography was used in order to measure respiratory variables and thoracoabdominal motion.ResultsComparisons among the three exercises showed significant differences: tidal volume was higher during incentive spirometry (with the flow-oriented device or with the volume-oriented device) than during diaphragmatic breathing; the respiratory rate was lower during incentive spirometry with the volume-oriented device than during incentive spirometry with the flow-oriented device; and minute ventilation was higher during incentive spirometry (with the flow-oriented device or with the volume-oriented device) than during diaphragmatic breathing. Rib cage motion did not vary during breathing exercises, although there was an increase in thoracoabdominal asynchrony, especially during incentive spirometry with the flow-oriented device.ConclusionsAmong the breathing exercises evaluated, incentive spirometry with the volume-oriented device provided the best results, because it allowed slower, deeper inhalation.

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