Chynkiamis Nikolaos, Vontetsianos Angelos, Anagnostopoulou Christina, Lekka Christiana, Gounaridi Maria Ioanna, Oikonomou Evangelos, Vavuranakis Manolis, Rovina Nikoleta, Bakakos Petros, Koulouris Nikolaos, Kaltsakas Georgios, Vogiatzis Ioannis
Rehabilitation Unit, 1st University Department of Respiratory Medicine, "Sotiria" Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece.
Thorax Research Foundation, 11521 Athens, Greece.
J Clin Med. 2025 Jun 13;14(12):4225. doi: 10.3390/jcm14124225.
Supervised pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is effective in improving cardiorespiratory fitness in non-hospitalised individuals with long COVID. However, there is limited evidence regarding PR-induced improvements in cardiorespiratory parameters in previously hospitalised COVID-19 survivors. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a hybrid PR programme (outpatient followed by a digital intervention) on exercise tolerance, cardiorespiratory adaptations, functional capacity and quality of life outcomes in previously hospitalised COVID-19 survivors. Forty-two patients (age (mean ± SD): 57 ± 12 yrs) with excessive fatigue due to long COVID (FACIT score (26 ± 10) were allocated to PR (n = 27) or usual care (UC) (n = 15) 140 ± 75 days from hospital discharge. PR consisted of 8 outpatient sessions (twice weekly for 4 weeks) followed by 24 home-based sessions (3 times/week for 8 weeks). Patients in the UC group were instructed to be physically active. Exercise tolerance was assessed by cardiopulmonary cycling testing to the limit of tolerance. Following the completion of the hybrid PR programme, peak work rate (WRpeak) and peak oxygen uptake (VOpeak) were, respectively, improved in the PR group by 19 ± 10 Watt ( = 0.001) and by 2.4 ± 3.0 mL/kg/min ( = 0.001). Furthermore, in the PR group, the 6 min walk distance was increased by 72 ± 69 metres ( = 0.001). FACIT and mMRC scores were also improved in the PR group by 15 ± 10 ( = 0.001) and by 1.4 ± 1.0 ( = 0.001), respectively. In the UC group, only the mMRC score was improved by 0.7 ± 1.0 ( = 0.008). The application of a hybrid PR programme was beneficial in improving cardiorespiratory exercise fitness, functional capacity and quality of life in previously hospitalised COVID-19 survivors.
有监督的肺康复（PR）对于改善未住院的长期新冠患者的心肺适能是有效的。然而，关于PR对既往住院的新冠病毒感染者康复后心肺参数改善情况的证据有限。本研究旨在调查混合式PR方案（门诊治疗后进行数字干预）对既往住院的新冠病毒感染者康复后运动耐量、心肺适应性、功能能力和生活质量的影响。42例因长期新冠导致过度疲劳的患者（年龄（均值±标准差）：57±12岁，功能性评估癌症治疗功能评估量表（FACIT）评分（26±10））在出院140±75天后被分配至PR组（n = 27）或常规护理（UC）组（n = 15）。PR包括8次门诊治疗（每周两次，共4周），随后是24次居家治疗（每周3次，共8周）。UC组患者被指导保持身体活动。通过心肺循环测试至耐受极限来评估运动耐量。在完成混合式PR方案后，PR组的峰值工作率（WRpeak）和峰值摄氧量（VOpeak）分别提高了19±10瓦（P = 0.001）和2.4±3.0毫升/千克/分钟（P = 0.001）。此外，PR组的6分钟步行距离增加了72±69米（P = 0.001）。PR组的FACIT和改良英国医学研究委员会（mMRC）评分也分别提高了15±10（P = 0.001）和1.4±1.0（P = 0.001）。在UC组，只有mMRC评分提高了0.7±1.0（P = 0.008）。应用混合式PR方案有利于改善既往住院的新冠病毒感染者康复后的心肺运动适能、功能能力和生活质量。
