Effects of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation in Participants With Post-Intensive Care Syndrome.

July 23, 2026 updated by: Ana Carolina Sebastião da Silva, Centro Universitário Augusto Motta

Clinical and Functional Effects of Supervised and Unsupervised Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation in Post-Intensive Care Syndrome: Clinical and Randomized Trial

Survivors of prolonged critical illness may develop post-intensive care syndrome, with reduced respiratory and peripheral muscle function and exercise capacity. This trial compared a home-based rehabilitation programme delivered through a self-explanatory workbook with weekly telephone monitoring against centre-based supervised rehabilitation.

The secondary objectives will be: To compare the effects of a supervised program of 12 weeks of supervised exercises and a program of self-performed home exercises, guided by an exercise booklet, of the same duration on muscle strength and peripheral resistance; Compare the effects of a 12-week supervised exercise program and a self-performed home exercise program, guided by an exercise booklet, of the same duration on health-related quality of life and functional status.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a randomized, controlled, assessor-blind treatment trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio.

Participants: Patients will be recruited at the Central Hospital of the Military Police and in the specialized multidisciplinary follow-up outpatient rehabilitation center. The participants will be adults (≥18 years and ≤ 65 years), who required hospitalization and need for invasive mechanical ventilation for at least 7 days and who were discharged after, between three and six months from hospital discharge between 2023 to 2025.

Intervention and comparison:

This study will be divided into three groups: control group(standard rehabilitation), face-to-face home intervention group. Both groups will be evaluated before and after the study period. Physical functions and functional capacity will be evaluated.

After ensuring that patients meet the inclusion criteria, they will be divided into groups that will receive supervised care in a supervised Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center, with protocoled exercises, the other group will receive a booklet of self-explanatory exercises for performing the exercises in home.

The intervention groups should perform the exercises in the period of 12 weeks, 3 times a week, totaling 36 intervention sessions.

Blinding The allocation sequence was generated before the start of enrolment. The assessor who performed the baseline clinical and functional evaluation was unaware of the arm to which the participant had been allocated, because allocation was disclosed only after that evaluation had been completed and recorded. Participants then followed the allocation already generated. The physiotherapists who delivered the rehabilitation sessions applied the assigned protocol and were not informed of the outcomes under investigation or of the hypothesis of the trial, so that their conduct of the sessions could not be oriented towards any particular outcome; they could not be blinded to the modality itself, since the two programmes are delivered in different settings. The assessor who performed the 12-week evaluation was unaware of the arm to which the participant had been allocated. Participants could not be blinded to the modality they received. State whether the baseline and 12-week assessments were performed by different assessors, what measures prevented participants from revealing their allocation during the 12-week assessment, and whether the statistician was unaware of allocation during the analysis.

Data monitoring

The trial is overseen by a data monitoring committee constituted at the institution to oversee its randomized clinical trials. The committee comprises five members, none of whom is a member of the study team or takes part in recruitment, delivery of the interventions, outcome assessment or data analysis. One member is the chair of the institutional Research Ethics Committee.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
85

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Brazil
    • Rio de Janeiro
      • Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 21073-460
        • Centro de Fisiatria e Reabilitação da Polícia Militar- RJ

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who required hospitalization and required invasive mechanical ventilation for at least 7 days and who were discharged after more than seven days of intensive care, between three and six months from hospital discharge;
  • Both sexes;
  • Over 18 years old and under 65 years old.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Need for supplemental home oxygen;
  • Motor or neurological or cognitive alteration that contraindicates the participation in the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program.
  • Persistence of clinical signs of deep vein thrombosis

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Center-based rehabilitation(Control)
The face-to-face intervention group will perform pulmonary rehabilitation at the Center-based rehabilitation.
Other: Center-based rehabilitation
Both programmes lasted 12 weeks, with three sessions per week and a total of 36 sessions, and both were designed to address muscle strength, muscular fatigue and functional capacity. The centre-based protocol was developed from previously published clinical trial protocols with those objectives. It was delivered in a dedicated outpatient clinic by a physiotherapist specialized in the programme, in groups of up to three participants, always in the morning. Each session lasted approximately 80 to 90 minutes and comprised: warm-up on a treadmill or cycle ergometer (5 min); aerobic training on a treadmill or cycle ergometer (30 to 45 min); loaded strength and muscular-endurance training of the upper and lower limbs (30 min), addressing the muscle groups used in daily activities through frontal and lateral raises, flexion and extension, functional diagonal movements, squats, and dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, performed as three sets of each exercise with a 1-minute interval between sets:
Active Comparator: Home-based rehabilitation (Experimental)
The home-based intervention group will carry out home intervention through a self-explanatory exercise booklet.
Other: Home-based Intervention
The home-based protocol comprised breathing exercises, stretching, muscle strengthening, balance and aerobic training, illustrated in a booklet. The booklet was delivered after the baseline evaluation and its execution was explained by a physiotherapist specialized in rehabilitation sciences in a face-to-face session. Every week the same professional made telephone contact to answer questions about the training, verify the regularity of the exercises and, where necessary, give advice. The intervention evaluated is therefore this combined package of booklet, initial instruction and weekly telephone monitoring. All exercises were designed to be simple and of low risk, at no cost to participants, and no equipment was provided; participants were advised to exercise preferably in the morning and in comfortable clothing. Each session lasted approximately 80 to 90 minutes and comprised: pursed-lip breathing, consisting of nasal inspiration with the mouth closed followed by expiration through

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Functional Capacity
Time Frame: 12 weeks
By 6MWD following the ERS/ATS field walking test
12 weeks
Respiratory muscle function (MIP)
Time Frame: 12 weeks
MIP will be measure according to the ATS/ERS statement on respiratory muscle testing
12 weeks
Peripheral muscle function
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Quadriceps strength will be assessed by a one-repetition-maximum (1-RM) test on an extension chair and quadriceps endurance will be assessed after 30 minutes of rest as the time for which a load corresponding to 40% of the 1-RM could be sustained isometrically until task failure (isometric endurance, in seconds)
12 weeks
Daily living activity
Time Frame: 12 weeks
It will be evaluated by the Post-COVID Function Scale(PCFS)
12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Quality of life improvement
Time Frame: 12 weeks
The assessment of quality of life will be carried out using a generic instrument of 36 items, validated in Brazil and called the SF-36 (Short Form Health Survey).
12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Centro Universitário Augusto Motta

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Ana Carolina Sebastião da Silva, Centro Universitário Augusto Motta

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 17, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 12, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 6, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 31, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 2, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 23, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • NTC20457

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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