Effect of Exercise Training on Prognosis in Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a significant cause of hospitalization.
• Optimizing patient recovery and reducing readmissions are key goals in CAP management.
• The role of supervised exercise during hospitalization for CAP requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of supervised in-bed cycling (Bed-Cycle) and booklet exercises (Book-Exe) alongside standard care (SoC) on outcomes in CAP patients.
• To compare the effectiveness of these interventions against SoC alone.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 186 CAP patients.
• Patients were allocated to three groups: SoC, Bed-Cycle + SoC, or Book-Exe + SoC.
• Primary outcome was length of stay (LOS); secondary outcomes included 90-day readmission and 180-day mortality.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in LOS was observed between groups.
• Ninety-day readmission rates were 35.6% (SoC), 27.6% (Bed-Cycle), and 21.3% (Book-Exe).
• Incidence rate ratios for readmission days were lower for both exercise groups compared to SoC.

Conclusions:

• Supervised exercise training during CAP admission did not reduce length of stay or mortality.
• The findings suggest that supervised exercise interventions may help reduce the risk and number of readmissions for CAP patients.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these benefits and optimize exercise protocols.