Early pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP) after hospital admission due to exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Results and follow-up

• Published in: Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine 2018-07, Vol.61, p.e281-e281
• Main Authors: Boldó-Alcaine, M., Martínez Rivera, C., Pascual-Soria, M.T., Gallardo, C., Andolz-Linares, R., Francoso, A., Jiménez-Vilchis, V., Garcia-Olivé, I., Abad-Capa, J., Durà-Mata, M.J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1877-0657; 1877-0665
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rehab.2018.05.656

Pulmonary rehabilitation is effective in the management of stable COPD, however, its role following an exacerbation of COPD is less studied. A prospective open observational study that included 91 patients with COPD hospitalized for exacerbation. Patients were randomized to intervention group (IG, early PRP) or control group (CG). The PRP included 4 weeks of supervised ambulatory daily aerobic exercise. The following variables were analyzed at 3 and 6 months: walking distance in the six-minute walking test (6MWT), hand grip, muscle mass percentage (MM), Saint-George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), Modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (mMRC), COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and number of exacerbations. The statistical analysis was performed using Mann–Whitney U test considering a statistically significant difference P