Palliation of Dyspnea with Mouthpiece Ventilation in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Pilot Feasibility Study

Mouthpiece ventilation (MPV) reduces hypoventilation, but its efficacy in relieving dyspnea in patients with acute chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation (AECOPD) is unclear. To assess the feasibility of MPV in relieving dyspnea among patients with AECOPD. In this prospective single-arm pilot study, the change in dyspnea on numeric rating scale (NRS) after using MPV and side effects of the treatment were studied in 18 patients with AECOPD. The median decrease in dyspnea was 1.5 (95% confidence interval = 0.0-2.5, = 0.006) on NRS after the intervention lasting a median of 16.9 minutes. Of the patients, 61% found MPV beneficial. The use of MPV did not increase the sense of anxiety or pain. MPV is feasible and may relieve dyspnea in patients with AECOPD, but the intervention needs further evaluation. clinicaltrials.gov study number: NCT03025425.