Postoperative Rehabilitation With Breathing Exercises to Prevent Atelectasis After Lung Cancer Resection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who see patients on surgical, oncology, step-down, or acute care caseloads after thoracic surgery, plus clinicians in outpatient and home settings who continue pulmonary rehabilitation in the weeks after discharge.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants working in acute care, cardiopulmonary, oncology, home health, and outpatient rehabilitation settings. Physical therapist assistants participate in delivering the interventions described here under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Intermediate

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

This course reports the findings of a single published systematic review with meta-analysis. Every claim and number in the course traces to that paper.

Wang J, Deng N, Qi F, Li Q, Jin X, Hu H. The effectiveness of postoperative rehabilitation interventions that include breathing exercises to prevent pulmonary atelectasis in lung cancer resection patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Pulm Med. 2023;23(1):276. doi:10.1186/s12890-023-02563-9. PMID: 37501067. PMCID: PMC10375623.

Scope note

The course does not extend beyond this review. Where the review reported uncertainty, the course reports that uncertainty rather than resolving it.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the population, the comparison, and the primary outcome of this systematic review of postoperative rehabilitation that included breathing exercises after lung cancer resection.
2. State the direction of the pooled findings for atelectasis and for lung function, and explain which of those findings the reviewers held with more confidence.
3. Name the limitations the reviewers identified, including why they said the effect of breathing exercises on their own could not be isolated.

1. Start Here: How This Course Works
2. Podcast Episode: Breathing Exercises After Lung Surgery (about nine minutes)
3. Atelectasis After Lung Resection: The Question the Reviewers Asked
4. How the Review Was Built: Searching, Screening, and Grading the Trials
5. What the Pooled Trials Showed: Atelectasis and Lung Function
6. Where the Evidence Is Thin: Bias, Inconsistency, and Mixed Programs
7. What the Findings Could Mean for Postoperative Care
8. Key Takeaways
9. Post-Test and Course Evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 0.5 contact hours (30 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. This course reports the findings of a single published systematic review with meta-analysis. Every claim and number in the course traces to that paper.
2. Wang J, Deng N, Qi F, Li Q, Jin X, Hu H. The effectiveness of postoperative rehabilitation interventions that include breathing exercises to prevent pulmonary atelectasis in lung cancer resection patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Pulm Med. 2023;23(1):276. doi:10.1186/s12890-023-02563-9. PMID: 37501067. PMCID: PMC10375623.
3. Scope note
4. The course does not extend beyond this review. Where the review reported uncertainty, the course reports that uncertainty rather than resolving it.