The effect of applying energy conservation techniques on the fatigue of chemical veterans with respiratory disorders

Background and Aim: Fatigue is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of respiratory disorders in chemical veterans which affects many aspects of patient's life. This study was conducted to determine the effect of applying the energy conservation techniques on the fatigue of chemical veterans with respiratory disorders. Methods: This clinical trial study was conducted on 49 chemical veterans with respiratory disorders by convenience sampling method. Then patients were divided into experimental and control groups by randomization. Energy conservation techniques were taught to the experimental group for one month and they applied these techniques for two months in daily activities. The fatigue of patients in two groups was assessed before, immediately after and one month after applying the techniques by Fatigue Severity scale. Results: The mean age of patients in control group was 57.32±9.60 years, and in experimental group was 54.79±7.27 years. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographic data (P>0.05). The mean of fatigue in the experimental group decreased immediately and one month after the intervention compared to before that and the differences were significant. However, the mean of fatigue in the control group increased after one month, and these differences were not significant. Also, there was a significant difference between the two groups in the mean of fatigue scores in different measurement periods (P<0.001). Conclusion: According to the current research findings, applying energy conservation techniques led to reduction of fatigue in veterans with respiratory disorders. Therefore, this method can be easily used as a non-pharmacological and effective method in the control of fatigue in this group of patients.