RESOLVE
RESOLVE is a UK‑wide, multi‑centre randomised controlled trial led by the Bristol Trials Centre. The local Principal Investigator will be Shona McDonald. The study aims to determine whether using an incentive spirometer, a simple handheld device that encourages deep breathing, can improve recovery in older adults admitted to hospital with rib fractures.
Each year, thousands of older adults are admitted to hospital with rib fractures. These injuries are very painful and can make it difficult for patients to take deep breaths or cough effectively. As a result, more than half of older patients with rib fractures develop breathing‑related complications, such as chest infections or pneumonia, which can prolong hospital stays and worsen outcomes.
Incentive spirometers are already used in some hospital settings to support breathing exercises; however, there is currently limited high‑quality evidence to demonstrate their effectiveness in older patients with rib fractures. RESOLVE will compare usual care with usual care plus incentive spirometry to determine whether this simple intervention can reduce pulmonary complications and support better recovery. The results of the study will help inform future care for this patient group.
Participants will be randomised on a 1:1 basis to receive either usual care plus an incentive spirometer or usual care alone. Participants randomised to receive the incentive spirometer will be asked to use the device three times a day for five days following injury. Participants in both groups will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires, and data will be collected on pulmonary complications, length of hospital stay, and any re‑attendance to the Emergency Department. Outcomes will be assessed at five days post‑randomisation to compare the effect of usual care plus incentive spirometry with usual care alone.