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Ο ρόλος της αναπνευστικής φυσικοθεραπευτικής παρέμβασης σε ασθενείς με αγγειακό εγκεφαλικό επεισόδιο (Master thesis)

Σείσου, Γιάννης

Introduction/purpose: Stroke is a major problem in modern society since it is one of the main causes of damage to the Central Nervous System (CNS) leading to secondary dysfunctions that directly affect independence and a person's functionality. A Vascular Stroke can in some cases be fatal therefore it is considered a medical emergency and needs urgent treatment to prevent any further damage to the body. Respiratory failure is a common complication after a stroke. However, the respiratory rehabilitation of stroke patients was not well known in the field of rehabilitation until recently. Most of the time people who survive an accident are left with some kind of disability that significantly affects their daily life. The main types of stroke are ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. A higher frequency of occurrence is found in older people, but it can also appear in younger people. The long-term goal of rehabilitating this pathology is, through various therapeutic methods. Patients must go through stages of retraining specific functions so that they become as functional and self-supporting as possible, depending, of course, on the size of the damage. The purpose of this review is to understand the role and effectiveness of respiratory physiotherapy intervention in people who have suffered a stroke. Methodology: Studies were reached through valid databases such as PubMed, Ebsco, Science Direct and Google Scholar (researcher). The particular studies were in English and Greek and the time period used was from 2015 to 2022. Moreover, these studies concerned adult patients who have suffered a stroke and were undergoing respiratory physiotherapy in their rehabilitation. Finally, the studies used were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical trials (CTs). Results: Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and included between 21 and 109 participants. It was investigated whether the application of respiratory physiotherapy in stroke patients had an effect on the quality of life and the prevention of important complications such as pneumonia. Compared to the control group, the intervention in all studies analyzed appeared to increase inspiratory and expiratory force, inspiratory endurance and reduce dyspnea. The long-term benefit from respiratory physical therapy has also been found in some studies. Overall, peak expiratory pressure, vital capacity and dynamically expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) were observed to improve compared to the control group. Conclusions: This paper reports possible interventions used to improve respiratory function after a stroke. Respiratory muscle exercise has been shown to be effective in improving inspiratory and expiratory force, lung function and dyspnea, and the benefits that can accrue to daily activity and quality of life. However, more research is imperative so that there is clear evidence to support or refute the effectiveness of aerobic exercise, breathing exercises, or postural improvement in breathing function after a stroke.