Effect of diaphragmatic breathing exercise on postoperative nausea, vomiting, and retching among orthopedic surgery patients

Background Postoperative nausea, vomiting, and retching (PONVR) is still the most common and distressing complaint after surgery and general anesthesia. Despite the potency of pharmacological management of PONVR, patients still experience such problem. Nonpharmacological strategies such as diaphragmatic breathing exercise could be integrated with pharmacological management to minimize the possibility of PONVR. Aim The aim was to evaluate the effect of diaphragmatic breathing exercise on selected postoperative complaints such as nausea, vomiting, and retching among postoperative orthopedic patients. Design One-group pretest–post-test quasi-experimental design was used. Research hypotheses H1: The mean score of nausea before will be different from the mean score of nausea after performing diaphragmatic breathing exercises among postoperative orthopedic patients. H2: The mean score of retching before will be different from the mean score of retching after performing diaphragmatic breathing exercises among postoperative orthopedic patients. H3: The mean score of vomiting before will be different from the mean score of vomiting after performing diaphragmatic breathing exercises among postoperative orthopedic patients. Patients and methods The current study was conducted at recovery rooms and orthopedic wards at Kaser Al-Ainy Teaching Hospital, affiliated to Cairo University Hospital, under supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education. A convenient sample of 100 adult male and female conscious patients who underwent orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia were included in the study along 3 consecutive months. Three tools were utilized to collect data: Demographic and Medical Related Data Form; Glasgow Coma Scale; and Index of Nausea, Vomiting, and Retching. Results The study results revealed that the mean total nausea, vomiting, and retching scores are statistically significantly decreased among postoperative orthopedic patients after performing diaphragmatic breathing exercise when compared with before performing. Conclusion Diaphragmatic breathing was effective in reducing the severity and occurrence of PONVR. Recommendations The diaphragmatic breathing exercise should be included in nursing curriculum as a new approach to treat postoperative nausea and vomiting.