A pulmonary rehabilitation program is an effective strategy to improve forced vital capacity, muscle strength, and functional exercise capacity similarly in adults and older people with post-severe COVID-19 who required mechanical ventilation

• Published in: BMC geriatrics Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 313 - 7
• Main Authors: Muñoz-Cofré, Rodrigo, Del Valle, María Fernanda, Marzuca-Nassr, Gabriel Nasri, Valenzuela, Jorge, Del Sol, Mariano, Canales, Constanza Díaz, Lizana, Pablo A, Valenzuela-Aedo, Fernando, Lizama-Pérez, Rodrigo, Escobar-Cabello, Máximo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 04-04-2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Aged patients; Aging; Artificial respiration; Body mass index; Care and treatment; COVID-19; Exercise; Health aspects; Mechanical ventilation; Methods; Muscle strength; Older; Older people; Patient outcomes; Patients; Pneumonia; Pulmonary rehabilitation; Rehabilitation; Respiratory therapy; Sarcopenia; Chile; United States > US; COVID-19; Adult; Pulmonary rehabilitation; Older
• ISSN: 1471-2318; 1471-2318
• DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-04910-9

It is internationally known that our population is aging. At the same time, some patients with COVID-19, due to their symptoms, required mechanical ventilation (MV) and subsequent pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). This study aimed to compare the effects of a multimodal PR program "ADULT" versus "OLDER" people with COVID-19 who were on MV.
The intervention consisted of an 8-week hybrid PR program (2x week). Forced vital capacity (FVC) was measured at the beginning and end of PR, upper and lower limb strength was obtained through hand grip strength (HGS) and the sit-to-stand test (STST), respectively, and functional exercise capacity was measured with the 6-minute walking test (6MWT).
The main results were an increase in the FVC in the ADULT and OLDER groups (time effect, P = 0.000; η2 = 0.27), an increase in HGS in the ADULT and OLDER groups (time effect, P = 0.000; η2 = 0.52), in the same way, the number of repetitions on the STST increased in the ADULT and OLDER groups (time effect, P = 0.000; η2 = 0.55). Finally, the distance covered on the 6MWT increased in the ADULT and OLDER groups (time effect, P = 0.000; η2 = 0.65).
The PR program is an effective strategy to improve FVC, muscle strength, and functional exercise capacity similarly in adults and older people with post severe COVID-19 who required MV.