Pulmonary Rehabilitation in COVID-19 patients: A scoping review of current practice and its application during the pandemic.

Abstract

The novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic primarily affects the respiratory system. Elderly individuals with comorbidity are severely affected. Survivors weaned from mechanical ventilation are at a higher risk of developing post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). This scoping review, based on 40 recent publications, highlights pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in COVID-19. There is a paucity of high-quality research on this topic. However, rehabilitation societies including the Turkish Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation have issued PR recommendations in COVID-19 pneumonia with productive cough can benefit from diaphragmatic breathing, pursed-lip breathing, and resistance-breathing training. Besides, those in mechanical ventilation and post-PICS COVID-19 cases, oxygen therapy, early mobilization, airway clearance, aerobic exercise, gradual-graded limb muscle resistance exercise, nutritional and psychological interventions should be consideration. During PR, careful evaluation of vital signs and exercise-induced symptoms is also required. When in-person PR is not possible, telerehabilitation should be explored. However, the long-term effects of PR in COVID-19 need further evaluation.

• Authors: Md Abu Bakar Siddiq, Farooq Azam Rathore, Danny Clegg, Johannes J Rasker
• Journal: Turkish journal of physical medicine and rehabilitation (Turk J Phys Med Rehabil) Vol. 66 Issue 4 Pg. 480-494 (Dec 2020) ISSN: 2587-1250 [Electronic] Turkey
• PMID: 33364571 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2020, Turkish Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.