ABSTRACT
Objectives:
The
effectiveness of acute
rehabilitation treatment for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has not yet been established. This study examined the
efficacy of
treatment provided to
patients with severe COVID-19 in an acute care facility.
Methods:
A total of 98
patients with severe COVID-19 requiring
inpatient management in our
intensive care unit (ICU) were included between December 2020 and October 2021. They were divided into two groups those
who received physiotherapy (PT group; n=44) and those
who did not receive physiotherapy (non-PT group; n=54). Their backgrounds, clinical characteristics, and activities of daily
life (
ADL) at discharge were compared to examine factors that influenced the need for physiotherapy (PT). We also evaluated the effect of PT on
ADL by comparing the Barthel Index (BI) before PT and at discharge.
Results:
The PT group
patients were significantly older, had longer
hospital and ICU stays, and used invasive
mechanical ventilators (IMV) more frequently than those in the non-PT group. More
patients in the non-PT group were able to walk at discharge than in the PT group. The PT group
patients showed significant improvement in BI and
ADL at discharge when compared with BI at the start of PT, regardless of whether an IMV was used.
Conclusions:
Older
patients with severe COVID-19 with prolonged
hospitalization or ICU stay or on an IMV are prone to a decline in
ADL and may need to be considered for early PT.