Dyspnea Management in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Using Occupation-Based Interventions: A Case Report
Year: 2022
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Demand for occupational therapy (OT) practitioners is increasing to help the growing population of adults with chronic conditions. Dyspnea, the feeling of shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, is the primary reason patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) seek medical services. The case report focused on occupation-based OT interventions for an 84-year-old female suffering from COPD for the past 20 years. She was a homemaker, and her main symptoms were dyspnea and weakness that affected her sleep, leisure, and self-care task participation. The patient had consulted for ten OT sessions, including the follow-up. The interventions used were participation in leisure occupation, dyspnea management using controlled breathing and energy conservation techniques, aerobic training to promote overall well-being and activity tolerance, and sleep management. Significant improvement at discharge was noted in all areas mentioned above, evident from scores improvement in all four standardized tests, 15% improvement in Modified Barthel Index Shah Version, 14% improvement in Geriatric Depression Scale, 29% improvement in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and 40% improvement in Borg Rating for Perceived Exertion Scale.
Author: Shivani Bharti Vij
Institution: Winchester Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Occupational Therapy
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4379529579