Expiratory Muscle Training Versus Functional Electrical Stimulation on Pulmonaryand Swallowing Functions in Covid-19 Patients

. Diab, Samia W; Badr, Nagwa M.; Ibrahim, Eman K.; Mohamed, Asmaa M.

doi:10.21608/ejhm.2023.280193

Expiratory Muscle Training Versus Functional Electrical Stimulation on Pulmonaryand Swallowing Functions in Covid-19 Patients

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

10.21608/ejhm.2023.280193

Abstract

Background:Coronaviruses are viruses that cause reductions in pulmonary and swallowing functions. The need for this study has been developed to apply a comparison between expiratory muscle strength training and functional electrical stimulation for the abdomenandneck in acute COVID-19 patients with dysphagia, aiming to determine the most effective technique to improve cough peak flow, peak expiratory flow, swallowing, and arterial blood gases. Objective:To determine the impact of electrical stimulation and expiratory muscle strength training on the pulmonary and swallowing functions in individuals with COVID-19. Methods:This clinical trial study included sixty patients with COVID-19, of both sexes, aged from 20 to 45 years,from El-Menshawy General Hospital, Tanta, Gharbia Governorate, Egypt, who were randomly chosen and divided into two equal groups equal. Expiratory muscle strength training was given to group A as one session per day, 30 minutes for each session, five times a week for four weeks.Group B received neck and abdominal functional electrical stimulation. Traditional dysphagia therapies, as well as chest physiotherapy, are administered to both groups. Results: After treatment, there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of pH and PCO2 (p < 0.001). Additionally, there was a significantly higher SaO2, PEF, and GUSS in group B following therapy compared to group A (p < 0.001). Conclusion:Functional electrical stimulation had a greater impact on pulmonary and swallowing functions in COVID-19 patients than expiratory muscle strength training.

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