Effect of Deep Breathing on Functional Capacity among Healthcare Workers Wearing FFP2/N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators

Abstract Background: The novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COV-ID-19) pandemic is putting the world at risk due to the spread of virus-infected respiration droplets. Healthcare workers (HCWs) wear N95 respirators to avoid this infection but Wearing it invokes several physiologic implications with prolonged use. Aim of Study: The aim of this study was to measure the effect of deep breathing on functional capacity among health-care workers wearing FFP2/N95 filtering facepiece respirators. Subjects and Methods: Sixty HCWs (14 males and 46 females) wearing FFP2/N95 filtering facepiece respirators, their age ranged from (25-35) years old and body mass index (BMI) less than 30 kg /m2. participants were recruited from intensive care unit department and inpatient clinics, Cairo University Hospitals, Egypt. Participants were assigned into two groups equal in number; the group (A) (22 females & 8 men) performed deep breathing training by incentive spirom-eter (IS) daily for 6 weeks, while the group (B) (24 females & 6 men) was the control group. Both groups were wearing the respirator for 4-8h/day. Data obtained regarding six-minute walk test (6MWT) at the beginning of the study and after 6 weeks for both groups. Parameters were evaluated include heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SPO2), modified borg dyspnea scale (MBS) and six-minute walking distance (6MWD) without wearing N95 mask, while wearing N95 mask from 2 hours Pre training and while wearing N95 mask from 2 hours Post training after 6 weeks also breath holding time (BHT) was measured at the beginning and the end of the study. Results: After 6 weeks of training, there was no significant difference between groups in HR, O2 saturation and 6MWD at Pre training without mask and at Pre training with mask (p>0.05). However, there was a significant decrease in resting HR, HR after 6MWT, resting MBS and MBS after 6MWT at Post training with mask of study group compared with that of control group (p < 0.001). There was a significant increase in resting O2 saturation, O2 saturation after 6MWT and 6MWD at Post training with mask of study group compared with that of control group (p < 0.01). There was a significant increase in the BHT of study group compared with that of control group Post training (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The results demonstrated that deep breathing training improve functional capacity among healthcare workers wearing FFP2/N95 filtering facepiece respirators.