Long COVID-19: Impact of a personalized rehabilitation program

Q3 Medicine

Rehabilitacion Pub Date : 2025-03-28 DOI:10.1016/j.rh.2025.100903

J.C. Perrot , M. Segura , G. Flotats , C. Closa , I. Gich , C. Garcia , A. Alba , M.J. Nadal , A. Pintor , J. Terra , E. Ramirez , M. Beranuy , H. Bascuñana , V. Plaza , M.R. Güell-Rous

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Introduction

Several guidelines have proposed specific rehabilitation programs to treat symptoms/sequelae in patients with post-acute COVID syndrome (PACS). Only a few studies show that rehabilitation reduce disability after COVID-19.

Objective

To describe the response to a personalized rehabilitation program in terms of exercise tolerance, muscle function, dyspnea, quality of life, and frailty state in a cohort of patients with PACS.

Methods

Observational prospective cohort study of community-dwelling patients. The rehabilitation program included three modalities (outpatient, home-based, and self-administered), optionally supplemented with respiratory muscle training. Study variables: 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), inspiratory muscle strength (PI_max), dyspnea, muscle strength (estimated with the Medical Research Council scale and handgrip), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and frailty estimated with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and at 3- and 6-months following baseline.

Results

Of 178 patients with PACS, 101 (56.7%) were enrolled in a rehabilitation program: 41.6% home-based, 27.7% outpatient, and 24.8% self-administered. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) was provided to 56 patients, with 50 included in the rehabilitation program and 6 (5.9%) receiving IMT alone. Significant improvements were observed at 3 months in mMRC strength (p = 0.001), SPPB (p < 0.0001), handgrip strength (p = 0.017), mMRC dyspnea, PI_max (p < 0.0001), and 6-MWD (p = 0.008). Improvements persisted at 6 months for mMRC strength (p = 0.048), SPPB (p = 0.002), PI_max (p < 0.0001), and 6MWD (p = 0.048). HRQoL mental and physical component scores improved only at 3 months.

Conclusions

Personalized rehabilitation for patients with PACS improved muscle parameters, dyspnoea, and exercise capacity, but not HRQoL, up to 6 months. Improvements in respiratory muscle strength were associated with reductions in dyspnoea and increased exercise capacity.

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来源期刊

Rehabilitacion Medicine-Rehabilitation

CiteScore

0.80

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： La revista que es desde hace más de 40 años la publicación oficial de la Sociedad Española de Rehabilitación y referente de la mayoría de las Sociedades de la Especialidad de los países americanos de habla hispana. Se publican 5 números pluritemáticos al año y uno monográfico sobre un tema del mayor interés y actualidad designado por el consejo de redacción.