title: Biofeedback and progressive relaxation in weaning the anxious patient from the ventilator: a brief report.
abstract: Weaning patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from mechanical ventilators is occasionally a long and difficult process complicated by the patient's fear of losing his or her breath during the weaning procedure. A case is presented of an anxious 58-year-old man who was taught to relax using biofeedback and progressive relaxation during aerosol "T-piece" weaning trials. The relaxation effect was elicited by having the patient contract and relax specific muscle groups in a progressive manner, to experience the difference between the states. Ear oximetry served as physiologic feedback as well as a safety feature in the event of oxygen desaturation during exercise. During and after the exercises he felt secure breathing without the ventilator as measured by the physiologic parameters: heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation determined by oximetry.
authors.affiliation: Hahnemann University, Respiratory Therapy School, Philadelphia, Pa.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Acosta
mesh_terms: D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D012122:Ventilators, Mechanical