<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec><h3>Aim</h3>
<p>The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of a pulmonary rehabilitation programme (PR) on the functional capacity and respiratory muscle strength of patients with post-COVID syndrome.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Methods</h3>
<p>A cross-sectional study was conducted using hospital data on patients who participated in a pulmonary rehabilitation programme at the Clinic for Lung Diseases, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Croatia, between January 2021 and December 2022. Data on the spirometry, respiratory muscle strength, and functional exercise capacity of patients were collected at baseline and three weeks after the start of rehabilitation. The study included 80 patients (43 females, 37 males) with a mean age of 51±10 years.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Results</h3>
<p>A significant increase in respiratory muscle strength (P&lt;0.001) was observed after pulmonary rehabilitation, with effect sizes ranging from small to large (Cohen’s d from 0.39 to 1.07), whereas the effect for PImax expressed as a percentage was large (Cohen’s d=0.99). In addition, the pulmonary rehabilitation programme significantly improved the parameters of the six-minute walk test in patients, and the parameters of lung function, FVC, FEV1, and DLCO also improved significantly after PR (P&lt;0.05).</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The results showed that the pulmonary rehabilitation programme has clinically significant effects on functional capacity and respiratory muscle strength in patients with post-COVID syndrome.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Aim
The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of a pulmonary rehabilitation programme (PR) on the functional capacity and respiratory muscle strength of patients with post-COVID syndrome.

Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted using hospital data on patients who participated in a pulmonary rehabilitation programme at the Clinic for Lung Diseases, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Croatia, between January 2021 and December 2022. Data on the spirometry, respiratory muscle strength, and functional exercise capacity of patients were collected at baseline and three weeks after the start of rehabilitation. The study included 80 patients (43 females, 37 males) with a mean age of 51±10 years.

Results
A significant increase in respiratory muscle strength (P<0.001) was observed after pulmonary rehabilitation, with effect sizes ranging from small to large (Cohen’s d from 0.39 to 1.07), whereas the effect for PImax expressed as a percentage was large (Cohen’s d=0.99). In addition, the pulmonary rehabilitation programme significantly improved the parameters of the six-minute walk test in patients, and the parameters of lung function, FVC, FEV1, and DLCO also improved significantly after PR (P<0.05).

Conclusion
The results showed that the pulmonary rehabilitation programme has clinically significant effects on functional capacity and respiratory muscle strength in patients with post-COVID syndrome.

The Effects of a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme on Functional Capacity and Strength of Respiratory Muscles in Patients with Post-COVID Syndrome

Department of Medical Statistics, Epidemiology and Medical Informatics, School of Public Health Andrija Štampar

Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek

Slovenian Journal of Public Health

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Učinek Programa Pljučne Rehabilitacije na Funkcionalno Sposobnost in Moč Dihalnih Mišic Pri Bolnikih Z Dolgim Covidom

Aim
The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of a pulmonary rehabilitation programme (PR) on the functional capacity and respiratory muscle strength...

The Effects of a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme on Functional Capacity and Strength of Respiratory Muscles in Patients with Post-COVID Syndrome

Article Category: Original scientific article

Published Online: Jun 14, 2024

Page range: 123 - 131

Received: Sep 28, 2023

Accepted: Apr 23, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2024-0017

Keywords
Dyspnea, Post-COVID syndrome, Pulmonary function tests, Pulmonary rehabilitation, Respiratory muscle strength

© 2024 Lana Vranić et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The Effects of a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme on Functional Capacity and Strength of Respiratory Muscles in Patients with Post-COVID Syndrome

Article Category: Original scientific article

Published Online: Jun 14, 2024

Page range: 123 - 131

Received: Sep 28, 2023

Accepted: Apr 23, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2024-0017

KeywordsDyspnea, Post-COVID syndrome, Pulmonary function tests, Pulmonary rehabilitation, Respiratory muscle strength

© 2024 Lana Vranić et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Dyspnea, Post-COVID syndrome, Pulmonary function tests, Pulmonary rehabilitation, Respiratory muscle strength