Effect of Prone Positioning and Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique on Oxygen Saturation and Psychological Status in Patients with COVID-19

Prone positioning has certain benefits in improving respiratory parameters. Objectives: To study the effects of prone lying position and alternate nostril breathing in patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted at District Headquarters Hospital Faisalabad, Pakistan. After ethical approval, patients between the ages of 40-80 were recruited with a diagnosis of COVID-19 and received supplemental oxygen. Thirty patients with COVID-19 were divided into two groups, group A opted prone lying alone and group B performed prone lying with alternate nostril breathing. Study outcomes were fractional oxygen concentration in inspired air (FiO2), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), and general psychological status recorded at baseline and after one hour of re-supination. A paired sample t-test and ANOVA were applied to find between-group and within-group differences (p≤0.05). Results: Out of 30 patients, 16 (53.3) were male and 14 (46.7%) were female. The mean age ± standard deviation of the participants in group A was 57.58±10.4 and in group B was 59.21±9.589. There was a significant inter-group difference in mean scores for General Anxiety Disorder-7, 9.290±2.355 before and 4.677±2.224 after the treatment. The pretreatment mean value of FiO2 was 1.68±0.475; after treatment, the value was 3.45±2.119. A p-value≤0.05 was found statistically significant for all outcome variables improving respiratory parameters and reducing anxiety. Conclusions: It was concluded that prone positioning with alternate nostril breathing effectively improves (PaO2), (FiO2) and general psychological state in COVID-19 patients.