Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
Conditions
Keywords
Acupuncture, TENS, Physiotherapy
Brief summary
Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) presents with a gradual reduction and little bitterness reversible airflow causing shortness of breath, chronic cough and sputum abnormal. Patients with COPD often suffer exacerbations of their symptoms, particularly dyspnea, causing hospital admissions. Recent studies have shown that acupuncture stimulation transcutánea (AcuTENS) Dingchuan point (EX-B1) could help reduce dyspnea in patients with COPD. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible utility of adding to the usual treatment stimulation AcuTENS in COPD patients admitted with severe dyspnea. Methodology: Patients who agree to participate will be randomly divided into two groups. The intervention group will receive a daily treatment, during the period of hospitalization, 45 minutes stimulation at acupuncture point AcuTENS Dingchuan (EX-B1), while the control group performed the same procedure with a device TENS simulated. The extent of dyspnea in both groups as well as the number of days of hospitalization and the number of drugs consumed.
Interventions
DEVICEAcuTENS
Stimulation of acupuncture point Dingchuan using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) instead of needles
DEVICESham AcuTENS
Portable TENS electrostimulation device with no electrical output
Sponsors
Fundació Sant Joan de Déu
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
45 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Patients aged between 45 and 70 years, with a diagnose of COPD according to the GOLD guidelines. 2. Patients with one episode of hospitalization for COPD exacerbation in the past year, but not more than three episodes. 3. Smoking habit history of more than 10 packages-year. 4. Patients able to correctly understand and answer the modified Borg scale. 5. Patiens with an initial degree of dyspnoea with a score of at least 5 in the modified Borg scale. 6. Patients recruited for the study during the first 48 hours of their hospitalization. 7. Patients who accept to participate in the study and sign the informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
1. Patients with any contraindication for transcutaneous electrical stimulation (patiens with pacemakers, skin injury in the application area ...). 2. Patiens with any cardiovascular, neurological or psychiatric disease that may affect the perception of dyspnea.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dyspnoea | At baseline, day 1, day 2, day 3 day 4 and day 5 of the study. | Change from baseline using the modified Borg scale |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity of drug administered | Up to 1 months after discharge | Amount of drugs administered during the hospitalization will be determined by data collected from the patient's clinical history |
| Peak expiratory flow | At baseline, day 1, day 2, day 3 day 4 and day 5 of the study. | Change from baseline using a peak flow meter |
| PaO2 | At baseline, day 1, day 2, day 3 day 4 and day 5 of the study. (only if there is a medical indication for it) | — |
| Mortality | Up to 3 months after discharge | Percentage of deaths 3 months after discharge |
| Hospitalization days | Up to 1 months after discharge | Number of days from the time of admission until discharge will be collected from the patient's clinical history |
| Arterial blood pH | At baseline, day 1, day 2, day 3 day 4 and day 5 of the study. (only if there is a medical indication for it) | — |
| SaO2 | At baseline, day 1, day 2, day 3 day 4 and day 5 of the study. (only if there is a medical indication for it) | — |
| Relapses | Up to 3 months after discharge | Percentage of relapses 3 months after discharge |
| Readmissions | Up to 3 months after discharge | Percentage of readmissions 3 months after discharge |
| PaCO2 | At baseline, day 1, day 2, day 3 day 4 and day 5 of the study. (only if there is a medical indication for it) | — |
Countries
Spain
Contacts
Primary ContactCarlres Fernández, MSc
Outcome results
None listed