Benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation in COVID-19: a prospective observational cohort study

Rainer Gloeckl, Daniela Leitl, Inga Jarosch, Tessa Schneeberger, Christoph Nell, Nikola Stenzel, Claus F Vogelmeier, Klaus Kenn, Andreas R Koczulla, Rainer Gloeckl, Daniela Leitl, Inga Jarosch, Tessa Schneeberger, Christoph Nell, Nikola Stenzel, Claus F Vogelmeier, Klaus Kenn, Andreas R Koczulla

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can result in a large variety of chronic health issues such as impaired lung function, reduced exercise performance and diminished quality of life. Our study aimed to investigate the efficacy, feasibility and safety of pulmonary rehabilitation in COVID-19 patients and to compare outcomes between patients with a mild/moderate and a severe/critical course of the disease.

Methods: Patients in the post-acute phase of a mild to critical course of COVID-19 admitted to a comprehensive 3-week inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation programme were included in this prospective, observational cohort study. Several measures of exercise performance (6-min walk distance (6MWD)), lung function (forced vital capacity (FVC)) and quality of life (36-question short-form health survey (SF-36)) were assessed before and after pulmonary rehabilitation.

Results: 50 patients were included in the study (24 with mild/moderate and 26 with severe/critical COVID-19). On admission, patients had a reduced 6MWD (mild: median 509 m, interquartile range (IQR) 426-539 m; severe: 344 m, 244-392 m), an impaired FVC (mild: 80%, 59-91%; severe: 75%, 60-91%) and a low SF-36 mental health score (mild: 49 points, 37-54 points; severe: 39 points, 30-53 points). Patients attended a median (IQR) 100% (94-100%) of all provided pulmonary rehabilitation sessions. At discharge, patients in both subgroups improved in 6MWD (mild/moderate: +48 m, 35-113 m; severe/critical: +124 m, 75-145 m; both p<0.001), FVC (mild/moderate: +7.7%, 1.0-17.8%, p=0.002; severe/critical: +11.3%, 1.0-16.9%, p<0.001) and SF-36 mental component (mild/moderate: +5.6 points, 1.4-9.2 points, p=0.071; severe/critical: +14.4 points, -0.6-24.5, p<0.001). No adverse event was observed.

Conclusion: Our study shows that pulmonary rehabilitation is a feasible, safe and effective therapeutic option in COVID-19 patients independent of disease severity.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: R. Gloeckl has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: D. Leitl has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: I. Jarosch has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: T. Schneeberger has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: C. Nell has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: N. Stenzel has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: C.F. Vogelmeier has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: K. Kenn has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: A.R. Koczulla has nothing to disclose.

Copyright ©The authors 2021.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Changes in a) 6-min walk distance (6MWD) and b) forced vital capacity (FVC) pre- to post-comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in patients with mild/moderate (n=24) and severe/critical (n=26) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). c) Development of oxygen saturation (SpO2) during endurance shuttle walk test (ESWT) from baseline to isotime in patients with severe to critical COVID-19 before and after PR. d) Development of breathing rate during ESWT from baseline to isotime in patients with severe to critical COVID-19 before and after PR. Data are presented as median and interquartile range. *: p<0.05, **: p<0.01, ***: p<0.001.

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