Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programme improves physical health and quality of life in post-COVID syndrome.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Many patients with previous COVID-19 infection suffer from prolonged symptoms after their recovery cough, dyspnea, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, anxiety or depression, regardless of milder or severe coronavirus infection. Review of the literature demonstrates underrepresented complex cardiopulmonary rehabilitation of patients with post-COVID syndrome. The aim of our quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the effectiveness of complex cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and to assess the quality of life, functional parameters before and after a 14-day specific cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and two months later. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients participated in rehabilitation at Semmelweis University's Department of Pulmonology. Respiratory function forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1%pred), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), chest kinematics (CK), quality of life [EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D), Post-COVID-19 Functional Status (PCFS)] and Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale were measured at the beginning and end of the programme and two months after the rehabilitation. RESULTS: The 14-day rehabilitation programme resulted in significant improvement of 6MWT {492 [interquartile range (IQR), 435-547] vs. 523 (IQR, 477-580) m; P=0.031}, mMRC [1 (IQR, 0.25-1) vs. 0 (IQR, 0-1); P=0.003], EQ-VAS score [75 (IQR, 65-80) vs. 85 (IQR, 75-90); P=0.015], and PCFS [1 (IQR, 1-2) vs. 0.5 (IQR, 0-1); P=0.032]. Respiratory function and chest kinematics also improved, FEV1(%pred) [86 (IQR, 73-103) vs. 91 (IQR, 80-99); P=0.360], chest kinematics [3.5 (IQR, 2.75-4.25) vs. 4 (IQR, 1-5.25) cm; P=0.296], and breath-holding test (BHT) [33 (IQR, 23-44) vs. 41 (IQR, 28-58) s; P=0.041]. CONCLUSIONS: Complex cardiopulmonary rehabilitation improved workload, quality of life, respiratory function, complaints and clinical status of patients with post-COVID syndrome. Personalized complex pulmonary rehabilitation can be beneficial and recommended for patients suffer from post-COVID syndrome, who have good potential for recovery and are able to participate in the two weeks complex pulmonary rehabilitation.