The effect of a short-term pulmonary rehabilitation on exercise capacity and quality of life in patients hospitalised with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND Recent research shows that pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programmes in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), reduced dyspnoea, improved exercise capacity, and prevented occurrence of further exacerbations. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the utility of a 3-week PR programme in patients with AECOPD. METHODS Patients admitted with AECOPD, following clinical stabilisation in the respiratroy intensive care unit (RICU), were alternately assigned to intervention (n=15); and control groups (n=15), respectively. Baseline assessment included spirometry, six-minute walk test (6MWT), symptom limited cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment by generic questionnaire medical outcomes study short form (S-F 36) questionnaire and dyspnoea evaluation by Borg score. The intervention group patients were treated with usual care plus PR exercises in the form of 20 minutes each of walking, bicycle ergometry and resistance exercises, thrice-weekly for three weeks. The control group patients were treated with only the usual care. After discharge from hospital the treatment regimens were continued on alternate days on outpatient basis, for a total of three weeks. The assessment was repeated in both the groups after three weeks. RESULTS Nine sessions of PR exercises produced statistically significant improvement in general well-being, forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), 6MWT parameters, exercise capacity, peak oxygen uptake and volume of oxygen consumption (VO2)/Watts slope on CPET in patients with AECOPD. CONCLUSION Short duration PR programmes appear to be helpful in the management of AECOPD.