[The extent of paradoxical thoracoabdominal motion during exercise was improved with oxygen therapy in patients with stable moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

OBJECTIVE

To assess the synergetic change of thoracoabdominal motion in COPD patients during incremental exercise testing, and to evaluate the effect of oxygen therapy on thoracoabdominal synergetic motion.

METHODS

30 stable moderate to severe COPD patients performed incremental exercise test with ergometer twice while breathing either air or 30% oxygen. Thoracoabdominal motion (assessed by TCD/VT) was monitored with respigraph during the whole test.

RESULTS

18 of 30 patients had TCD/VT > 1.20 during maximal exercise. TCD/VT at maximal exercise (TCD/VTmax) was significantly correlated with FEV1, FVC, MVV and PaCO2(r = -0.66, -0.63, -0.51, and 0.51), but not correlated with DLCO. The thoracoabdominal synergetic motion could be obviously improved with oxygen therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The change of thoracoabdominal synergetic motion during exercise in COPD patients was related with ventilatory function and blood gases. Oxygen therapy could obviously ameliorate paradoxical thoracoabdominal motion.