Effect of Thymus Vulgaris Inhaling on Wheezing and Respiratory Rate in Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Aims: Today, different drugs are used to treat Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD). These drugs not only impose costs on the patient, but also have many side effects. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of thymus vulgaris inhaling on wheezing and respiratory rate in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The present randomized, controlled, single blind clinical trial was performed on 60 patients with AECOPD referred to Emergency Department of 22 Bahman Hospital in Gonabad, Iran in 2016. The patients were selected through purposive sampling method and were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups based on the permutation blocks method. The intervention group received T. vulgaris 1% inhaling as much as 5ml for 15 minutes through inhaling treatment mask, and the control group used distilled water inhaling for the same amount and duration with inhaling treatment mask. The patient's respiration rate and wheezing for both groups were recorded for 1 minute. The data were analyzed by SPSS 22, using Chi-square, independent t-test, and paired t-test.
Finding: In the intervention group after the inhaling, the mean respiratory rate decreased significantly compared to before the intervention (p=0.001). The reduction in wheezing intensity was also significant in the intervention group (p=0.001).
Thymus vulgaris inhaling is effective in reduction of wheezing and respiratory rate in patients with AECOPD.