Intensive versus usual rehabilitation programs in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a comprehensive, patient-customized, multifaceted, non-pharmacological, pivotal intervention designed to enhance the quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Comorbidities and financial costs pose an important hindrance to long-term adherence to PR programs, and the optimal duration and intensity of a PR program are controversial. So, we conducted this study to assess the effect of 3-week PR program on COPD patients, and to compare the effectiveness of an intensive program with two sessions per day, to a usual program with one session per day.

A prospective interventional study enrolling 50 clinically stable COPD patients randomized into two groups. A three-week PR program was designed for both groups. Group I received one session/day while Group II received two sessions/day. Oxygen saturation(SPO2) modified Medical Research Councill(mMRC) dyspnea grade, COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score, Barthel scale, and 6-min walking test(6MWT) were all assessed at baseline and the end of the program.

Fifty COPD patients, with a mean age of 60.06 ± 6.3 years. After three weeks of PR either with one or two sessions per day, both groups showed significant improvement in the dyspnea score, CAT score, Barthel score, SPO2, and 6minute walking distance (6MWD) (p-value˂0.05). Also, on comparing the resulting parameters between the two groups showed a non-significant difference.

A three-week pulmonary rehabilitation with usual program is effective and comparable to an intensive program in increasing exercise capacity, improving dyspnea, and health-related quality of life in stable COPD Patients.