Innovative breathing aid developed
Hands-free device improves breathing in people with COPD

Date:
March 10, 2023
Source:
University of Cincinnati
Summary:
One in 10 adults suffer from the debilitating effects of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Research around a new
breathing device developed by pulmonologists offers promise for
improving their lives. The new device not only improves symptoms
of breathlessness and quality of life for people with COPD, it
also offers benefits for people dealing with stress and anxiety
and those practicing mindfulness, meditation or yoga. The research
was published in the journal Respiratory Care.


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FULL STORY ==========================================================================
One in 10 adults suffer from the debilitating effects of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Research around a new breathing
device developed by pulmonologists at the University of Cincinnati offers promise for improving their lives.


==========================================================================
The new device not only improves symptoms of breathlessness and quality of
life for people with COPD, it also offers benefits for people dealing with stress and anxiety and those practicing mindfulness, meditation or yoga.

The research was published in the journal Respiratory Care.

The device, called PEP Buddy, was created by Muhammad Ahsan Zafar, MD,
and Ralph Panos, MD. Zafar is an associate professor in the Department of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the UC College of Medicine
while Panos is a professor emeritus in pulmonary and critical care at
the UC College of Medicine and is the director of national tele-ICU
program for the U.S. Veterans Affairs.

"Dr. Panos and I both see patients with COPD, and it's a huge population,"
says Zafar. "Their life really changes when they have COPD. They were
active individuals but now they're debilitated and limited, so we
wanted to come up with something easy that helps improve their life."
For people with COPD, it takes longer to get inhaled air out of their
lungs with each breath due to tighter air tubes. Therefore, when they
breathe fast, like during physical activities, air is retained in
the lungs. This air stacking or "dynamic hyperinflation" is the main
reason for breathlessness and also leads to lower oxygen levels. As the breathing gets difficult during physical activity, people become less
and less active and more isolated.

Panos and Zafar developed a hands-free device that is the size of
a whistle.

Zafar said he looked at positive-expiratory pressure (PEP) breathing
devices on the market and they were handheld, big and bulky, so they
tried to come up with something that is very simple, lightweight and
easy to use. The device is designed to be worn around the neck with
a lanyard for day-to-day use and inserted into the mouth when needed,
during or after exertion.

In the study, they examined people with COPD who were short of breath
and gave them two tasks. "We conducted a six-minute walk test with
and without the device," says Zafar. "They were given the device to
take home and use in their daily routines. In two weeks, there was a
follow-up to see how PEP Buddy use impacted their shortness of breath and quality-of-life scores." The study found 72% of the participants had a significant impact in reducing their shortness of breath and improving
their quality of life. Among those who would drop their oxygen levels
during walking, 36% of them did not drop oxygen levels when using PEP
Buddy. This is the first mechanical device to show such an impact on
oxygen levels in people with COPD.

Maja Flannery, a PEP Buddy user with chronic lung disease and airflow obstruction, says the device has changed her day-to-day living.

"I am so happy that I was lucky enough to be part of the study and able
to use this great little device to breathe better," Flannery says. "I use
it when I get up in the morning. It helps with the air requirement when changing position from laying down to standing and exercises my lungs
to get them more prepared for the day. I find it helpful in getting the
trapped air out as I am active, so I can play longer points during tennis,
and also recover between points more quickly. My friends at tennis laugh
that it is my 'magic whistle.'" UC's Zafar says the next step in this
research is to conduct a long-term study to see the impact on the use
of rescue inhalers, emergency department visits and long-term symptoms
and functional capacity in people with COPD. PEP Buddy may also be
a promising addition to pulmonary rehabilitation programs for faster improvement and sustaining better outcomes. They are also exploring
other uses of PEP Buddy in health care.

"As a physician I feel gratified that we are providing something new
that can actually improve people's lives," says Zafar. "That's where my
passion is.

These people are really debilitated with not many tools in their hand
to improve their symptoms right now. PEP Buddy will be one such tool."
* RELATED_TOPICS
o Health_&_Medicine
# COPD # Lung_Disease # Alternative_Medicine # Elder_Care
o Mind_&_Brain
# Obstructive_Sleep_Apnea # Mental_Health # Intelligence
# Caregiving
* RELATED_TERMS
o COPD o Yoga_(alternative_medicine) o Obstructive_sleep_apnea
o Palliative_care o Meditation o Air_pollution o Bronchitis
o Panic_attack

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Cincinnati. Original
written by Bill Bangert. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Muhammad Ahsan Zafar, Ashley Cattran, Rachel Baker, Roman Jandarov,
Ralph
J Panos. A Hands-Free, Oral Positive Expiratory Pressure Device
for Exertional Dyspnea and Desaturation in COPD. Respiratory Care,
2023; 68 (3): 408 DOI: 10.4187/respcare.10278 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230310123846.htm

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