SNIP is moderately and significantly related to COPD severity as assessed by the BODE index. Moreover, the cutoff point of 63 cmH2O showed the best combination of sensitivity and specificity for predicting worse scores in the BODE index.

IntroductionSpirometry should follow strict quality criteria. The American Thoracic Society (ATS) recommends the use of a noseclip; however there are controversies about its need. ATS also indicates that tests should be done in the sitting position, but there are no recommendations neither about position of the upper limbs and lower limbs nor about who should hold the mouthpiece while performing the maneuvers: evaluated subject or evaluator.ObjectivesTo compare noseclip use or not, different upper and lower limbs positions and who holds the mouthpiece, verifying if these technical details affect spirometric results in healthy adults.MethodsOne hundred and three healthy individuals (41 men; age: 47 [33–58] years; normal lung function: FEV1/FVC = 83±5, FEV1 = 94 [88–104]%predicted, FVC = 92 [84–102]%predicted) underwent a protocol consisting of four spirometric comparative analysis in the sitting position: 1) maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) with vs without noseclip; 2) FVC performed with vs without upper limbs support; 3) FVC performed with lower limbs crossed vs lower limbs in neutral position; 4) FVC, slow vital capacity and MVV comparing the evaluated subject holding the mouthpiece vs evaluator holding it.ResultsDifferent spirometric variables presented statistically significant difference (p<0.05) when analysing the four comparisons; however, none of them showed any variation larger than those considered as acceptable according to the ATS reproducibility criteria.ConclusionsThere was no relevant variation in spirometric results when analyzing technical details such as noseclip use during MVV, upper and lower limb positions and who holds the mouthpiece when performing the tests in healthy adults.

Introduction: Postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing cardiac surgeries are usually a clinical challenge, which can be prevented and treated with specific physical therapy techniques. However, it is not known which technique is the most effective. Objective: Literature review with the objective of assessing the effectiveness of positive pressure (CPAP, IPPB, NIV-2P) compared to standard physioterapy therapy and incentive spirometry on improving pulmonary function in postoperative cardiac surgery patients. Methods: English and Portuguese studies were used as references, searching for specific descriptors on the following data sources: BIREME, SciELO Brazil, LILACS, PUBMED, from 1985 to 2010. Only randomized clinical trials were included. Results: Ten randomized control trials were included in this review. About the most effective technique, two studies showed that CPAP and NIV-2P were more effective than standard physioterapy and incentive spirometry. In other two studies, NIV-2P were more effective than nasal oxygen catheter and standard physioterapy. Conclusion: There is no evidence in the literature about the most effective physiotherapy technique. Also, it is not known if the association of positive pressure, standard physioterapy and incentive spirometry can be more effective. It is important to emphasize that no selected study compared the three modalities of positive pressure.