Effect of Respiratory Rehabilitation Nursing Interventions on Acute Exacerbation Symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Hospitalized Geriatric Patients

Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD) is characterized by
a sudden worsening of COPD symptoms such as dyspnea, cough, increased sputum production, and
exercise intolerance. Implementation of respiratory rehabilitation nursing interventions is crucial in
the management of AECOPD in geriatric patients. Objective: Determine the effect of respiratory
rehabilitation nursing interventions on acute exacerbation symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease among hospitalized geriatric patients. Setting: Two units; the respiratory disorders unit and
the geriatric medicine unit affiliated to the Main University Hospital in Alexandria, Egypt. Subjects: A
purposive sampling of fifty (50) geriatric patients with AECOPD was recruited. The selected subjects
were divided into two equally matched groups; one study group and one control group. Tools: Six
tools were used for data collection: Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), Geriatric
Depression Scale Short-Form (GDS-SF), Socio-demographic and Clinical Data of Hospitalized
Geriatric Patients with AECOPD Structured Interview Schedule, The Simplified Cough Score (SCS),
The Modified Borg Scale for Perceived Dyspnea, and 1-Minute Sit-to-Stand (1- MSTS) Test. Results:
After the implementation of the proposed nursing interventions, a statistically significant improvement
was observed in all acute exacerbation symptoms of COPD among the subjects in the study group
when compared to the control group who received routine hospital care only. Greater and more
positive effect size was detected on the severity of dyspnea than the severity of other AECOPD in the
study group. Conclusion: The proposed respiratory rehabilitation nursing interventions proved to be
effective in reducing the severity of AECOPD symptoms among hospitalized geriatric patients.
Recommendations: It is critical for geriatric patients with AECOPD to receive respiratory
rehabilitation nursing interventions as soon as possible in order to reduce the severity of associated
symptoms. This is through educating geriatric COPD patients and their families on preventative
measures to avoid the occurrence of AECOPD. This can be accomplished by well-trained nurses in
different clinical settings.