OBJECTIVE Although incentive spirometry (IS) is frequently used to prevent postoperative pulmonary complications, its efficacy in patients with COPD has not been documented. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of IS on pulmonary function tests, arterial blood gases, dyspnoea and health-related quality of life in patients hospitalized for COPD. METHODOLOGY A total of 27 consecuti...

The scientific foundation of respiratory therapy (RT) has increased over the last decade in patients with respiratory diseases(1); however, its effect in patients with other diseases remains poorly understood. In this issue of the Revista Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia, Bom et al.(2) demonstrate the benefits of RT in patients submitted to myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplan...