Effectiveness of a Three-Week Inpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program for Patients after COVID-19: A Prospective Observational Study

Markus C. Hayden, Matthias Limbach, Michael Schuler, Steffen Merkl, Gabriele Schwarzl, Katalin Jakab, Dennis Nowak and Konrad Schultz
Additional contact information
Markus C. Hayden: Bad Reichenhall Clinic, Centre for Rehabilitation, Pulmonology and Orthopedics, 83435 Bad Reichenhall, Germany
Matthias Limbach: Bad Reichenhall Clinic, Centre for Rehabilitation, Pulmonology and Orthopedics, 83435 Bad Reichenhall, Germany
Michael Schuler: Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
Steffen Merkl: Bad Reichenhall Clinic, Centre for Rehabilitation, Pulmonology and Orthopedics, 83435 Bad Reichenhall, Germany
Gabriele Schwarzl: Bad Reichenhall Clinic, Centre for Rehabilitation, Pulmonology and Orthopedics, 83435 Bad Reichenhall, Germany
Katalin Jakab: Bad Reichenhall Clinic, Centre for Rehabilitation, Pulmonology and Orthopedics, 83435 Bad Reichenhall, Germany
Dennis Nowak: Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC), German Center for Lung for Lung Research (DZL), Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Clinic of the University of Munich, 80336 München, Germany
Konrad Schultz: Bad Reichenhall Clinic, Centre for Rehabilitation, Pulmonology and Orthopedics, 83435 Bad Reichenhall, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-22

Abstract: For COVID-19 patients who remain symptomatic after the acute phase, pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is recommended. However, only a few studies have investigated the effectiveness of PR, especially considering the duration between the acute phase of COVID-19 and the onset of rehabilitation, as well as the initial severity. This prospective observational study evaluated the efficacy of PR in patients after COVID-19. A total of 120 still-symptomatic patients referred for PR after overcoming acute COVID-19 were asked to participate, of whom 108 (mean age 55.6 ± 10.1 years, 45.4% female) consented. The patients were assigned to three groups according to the time of referral and initial disease severity (severe acute; severe after interval; mild after interval). The primary outcome was dyspnea. Secondary outcomes included other respiratory disease symptoms, physical capacity, lung function, fatigue, quality of life (QoL), depression, and anxiety. Furthermore, patients rated the overall effectiveness of PR and their subjective change in health status. At the end of PR, we detected improvements with large effect sizes in exertional dyspnea, physical capacity, QoL, fatigue, and depression in the overall group. Other parameters changed with small to medium effect sizes. PR was effective after acute COVID-19 in all three groups analyzed.

Keywords: COVID-19; pulmonary rehabilitation; course of recovery; inpatient rehabilitation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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