RESOLVE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Randomised Evaluation of incentive Spirometry in OLder adults with rib fractures to preVEnt pulmonary complications: RESOLVE
IRAS ID
349783
Contact name
Katherine Coates
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
North Bristol NHS Trust
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN14365105
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
We will aim to see whether a device that helps with breathing exercises can improve recovery for older people when taken to hospital with broken ribs.
Broken ribs are painful and can make it harder to take a deep breath or cough. Over half of older people with broken ribs then develop problems, like chest infections. We think that a device called an ‘incentive spirometer’ (IS) which helps people take a deeper breath, may help to prevent these problems. These devices are already given to some patients who have had an operation, but we don’t know whether they help with recovery from broken ribs.
We will ask 276 older patients in hospital with broken ribs to participate. We will split them into two groups by chance. Both groups will be treated in the normal way whilst in hospital, but one group will also be given an IS. We will ask this group to use the IS regularly for at least the first 3 days. We will ask permission from patients (or carers) to collect information from hospital notes about their recovery. We will look to see whether people who use the device get fewer problems, like chest infections, in the first 5 days after they came into hospital. We will also ask everyone to complete questionnaires to monitor recovery.
We have listened to older patients who have had broken ribs and taken part in research. We have tried the IS with older patients who enjoyed using it and tell us it doesn’t make the pain from their broken ribs worse. We also have an active patient group who will work with us.
We will write up the results and publish them in journals. We will also share the results at healthcare conferences and also let patients know about the results.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/YH/0013
Date of REC Opinion
28 Jan 2026
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion