Effect of Chest Physiotherapy on the Clinical Outcomes of COVID-19 Patients.

Background: The novel coronavirus 2019 primarily affects the respiratory system and may lead to respiratory failure and the need for intubation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of chest physiotherapy on the clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19.

Materials and methods: This randomized clinical trial was performed in 2022-2023. The research population included 58 patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized at Izeh Shohada Hospital, Khuzestan. Patients in the control group received routine care, which included the use of supportive drugs based on the doctor's opinion, oxygen therapy, and nutritional support. The intervention group received chest physiotherapy and breathing exercises for six days. At the end of the third and sixth days, the patients of both groups were evaluated in terms of lung function, respiratory gases, and the length of hospital stay. Moreover, the need for intubation was recorded during study time. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 23 software.

Results: In the intervention group, a significant improvement was observed in FVC (P<0.01), FEV₁(P<0.01), FEV₁/FVC ratio (P<0.01), PaO₂ (P<0.01), PaCO₂ (P<0.01), and SPO₂ (P<0.01) as well as the length of hospital stay (P<0.01) after the intervention. However, no significant difference was observed in the PaO2/FiO₂ ratio (P>0.05) and the need for intubation (P>0.05).

Conclusion: The results showed that in the new crisis resulting from COVID-19, chest physiotherapy and respiratory exercises could be used as a helpful method in improving lung function, respiratory gases, and reducing the hospital stay in COVID-19 patients.