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Updated: Jan 3, 2026
Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
Pediatric pulmonary rehabilitation program at a Chilean public hospital
Gerardo Torres1,2, Iván Rodríguez-Núñez3, Daniel Zenteno1,4
1Programa de Rehabilitación Respiratoria Infantil, Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Guillermo Grant Benavente, Concepción, Chile.
Insights
Pediatric pulmonary rehabilitation significantly improved cardiorespiratory function in children with chronic conditions. The program demonstrated good compliance and positive outcomes in lung capacity and exercise tolerance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Pediatric pulmonary rehabilitation is crucial for managing chronic respiratory diseases.
- Access to such programs in Chile is limited to specific hospitals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the outcomes of a pediatric pulmonary rehabilitation program.
- To assess changes in cardiorespiratory function after a 3-month intervention.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 156 pediatric patients (June 2011-June 2017) with chronic lung, neuromuscular, or other conditions.
- Included physical, respiratory muscle, and spirometry assessments.
- Patients followed facility-based, mixed, or home-based training protocols.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements observed in peak inspiratory pressure (+19.3%), peak expiratory pressure (+14.5%), forced vital capacity (+12.9%), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (+11.6%), and the six-minute walk test (+17.6m).
- Patient compliance with training protocols exceeded 65% across different program types.
- Improvements were statistically significant (p < 0.05) for all measured parameters.
Conclusions:
- The pediatric pulmonary rehabilitation protocol effectively enhanced cardiorespiratory functional capacity.
- High compliance rates suggest patient engagement and program efficacy.
- The findings support the implementation and expansion of such rehabilitation programs for pediatric patients.
Introduction:
Pediatric pulmonary rehabilitation is relevant in the management of chronic respiratory diseases. In Chile, it is provided only at certain hospitals. Objective. To describe the outcomes of a pediatric pulmonary rehabilitation program after 3 months of rehabilitation.
Methodology:
Retrospective study of patients with chronic lung disease, neuromuscular disease, and other chronic conditions admitted to the program between June 2011 and June 2017. Assessments included general physical and respiratory muscle examination, and spirometry. General physical training and respiratory muscle training were planned according to facilitybased, mixed and home protocols.
Results:
A total of 156 patients (11.45 ± 3.55 years old) were included, 68 had chronic lung disease (11.56 ± 4.6 years old, 43.5 %); 45, neuromuscular disease (11.4 ± 3.7 years old, 28.8 %); and 43, various chronic conditions (11.31 ± 3.9 years old). Out of all patients, 102 (65.4 %) followed training protocols; targeted (n = 27), mixed (n = 23), and home (n = 50); compliance was 69 %, 87.5 %, and 70 %, respectively. Peak inspiratory pressure increased by 19.3 % (p = 0.001); peak expiratory pressure, 14.5 % (p = 0.001); forced vital capacity, 12.9 % (p = 0.001); forced expiratory volume in 1 second, 11.6 % (p = 0.004); and the six-minute walk test, 17.6 meters (p = 0.036) after 3 months of rehabilitation.
Conclusions:
The intervention protocol improved cardiorespiratory functional capacity. Compliance was over 65 %.
