Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 47 7 2018 07 16 1001 1006 Lei GAI Intensive Care Unit, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical Collage, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315000, P.R. China Yan TONG Intensive Care Unit, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical Collage, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315000, P.R. China Biqing YAN Intensive Care Unit, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical Collage, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315000, P.R. China 2018 07 16 2018 07 16 Background: We aimed to investigate the application effects of pulmonary physical therapy on the patients with respiratory failure. Methods: Overall, 132 patients with respiratory failure admitted into the Affiliated Hospital of Medical Collage of Ningbo University from 2013-2017 were enrolled and divided into control group (n=66) and observation group (n=66). Patients in the two groups received conventional physical therapy but those in observation group received pulmonary physical therapy additionally. The ventilation and air-exchanging functions, scores of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) and occurrence of complications in patients in the two groups were compared. Results: PaO2, PaCO2, PaO2/FiO2 and estimated FEV2% were greatly improved in patients in the two groups after treatment and those in patients in observation group were better than those in patients in control group; the differences were statistically significant (P=0.014). There were no statistically significant differences in the scores of APACHE II in patients in the two groups before treatment and at 2 days and 3 days after treatment. Scores of APACHE II of patients in observation group were obviously lower than those of other group at 4 days and 7 days after treatment and the differences were statistically significant (P=0.015, 0.029). The total incidence rates of complications in patients in observation group and control group were 7.57% and 39.39%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.021). Conclusion: The treatment of respiratory failure patients with pulmonary physical therapy can greatly improve the ventilation and air-exchanging functions, avoid the occurrence of complications and improve the health condition.       https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/14046 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/14046/6042