J Korean Acad Fundam Nurs.  2009 May;16(2):214-222.

The Effects of Walking-Support Program on the Pulmonary Ventilatory Functions of Elders Following Upper-abdominal Surgery

• Park HS
• Kim NH
• Kim ES

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a walking-support program on the pulmonary ventilatory functions of elderly people who had undergone upper-abdominal surgery. METHOD: The study was a quasi-experimental research design. There were 26 partcipants who were admitted for upper-abdominal surgery to P University Hospital in B city. Walking exercise education was provided individually to the experimental group the day before their operation and 20 minutes a day for five days after the surgery using the 'Walking Exercise Guide Document'. Pulmonary ventilatory function was with FVC (Forced Vital Capacity), PEF (Peak Expiratory Flow), FEV1 (Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second), FER (Forced Expiratory Ratio), Oxygen Saturation, and VAS (Visual Analog Scale).
RESULTS
The objective indexes of pulmonary ventilatory function were not significantly different between the two groups, but the subjective index was significantly different.
CONCLUSION
With the above results, the walking support program could be an effective nursing intervention for improving pulmonary ventilatory function of surgical patients.

Keyword

Walking; Pulmonary function; Elderly; Surgery

MeSH Terms

Aged
Humans
Oxygen
Research Design
Walking
Oxygen