Abstract
Introduction:
COVID-19 disease can cause a wide variety of long-term health problems, such as impaired lung function, reduced exercise performance, and decreased quality of life. Our study aimed to investigate the efficacy, feasibility, and safety of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COVID-19 and to compare the results between patients with a mild/moderate and severe/critical course of the disease.
Materials and Methods:
Patients in the post-acute phase of a mild to critical course of COVID-19 admitted to a comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program were included in this prospective, observational cohort study. Various measures of exercise performance, 6-minute walk distance, lung function (forced vital capacity (FVC)), and quality of life (36-question short-form health survey (SF-36)) were assessed before and after.
Results:
43 patients were included in the study (20 with mild/moderate COVID and 23 with severe/critical COVID-19).
Results:
At admission, patients had reduced walking distance (mild: median 401 m, interquartile range (IQR) 335-467 m; severe: 108 m, 84-132 m), impaired FVC (mild: 72%, severe: 35%,) and a low SF-36 mental health score (mild: 52 points, severe: 32 points. Patients received sessions adjusted to their physical abilities, patients in both subgroups improved on the walking test of 6 min (mild/moderate: +54m, severe/critical: +117m, both p < 0.002), FVC (mild/moderate: +8.9%, p=0.004; severe/critical: +12.4% , p <.003) and mental component sf-36 (mild /> moderate: +6.8 points, p = 0.062; severe / critical: +16.7 points, -p <.005). conclusions: an exercise program well structured results in a benefit the spheres of aerobic capacity, lung volumes and quality life, this sense it is recommended to expand population samples be able apply our protocol other centers charge n rehabilitation covid 19 patients.