Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation for Post-acute COVID-19 Symptoms

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this RETROSPECTIVE study was to compare the effect of a hospital and home-based cardiopulmonary rehabilitation (CPR) program on exercise endurance and quality of life in post-acute COVID-19 patients. 88 post-acute COVID-19 patients were divided two groups according to receiving hospital (n=45) or home-based CPR (n=43)in our rehabilitation clinic between January and July 2021. Both protocols consisted of aerobic, breathing and flexibility exercises. Hospital-based CPR: three or four days per week for a total of 20 sessions. Home-based CPR: three or four days/a week over a period of six weeks. The results of six meters walk test (6MWT) for exercise endurance as a main outcome measure, and Borg-dyspnea/fatigue, the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) as secondary outcome measures before and after treatment were recorded.

Official Title
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Hospital- Versus Home-based Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation for Post-acute COVID-19 Symptoms

Conditions
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Cardiopulmonary

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Exercise programme


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: being 18 years or older having COVID-19 treatment (home quarantine/hospital/intensive care unit) according to a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test in a nasopharyngeal + oropharyngeal swab or chest computed tomography (CT) participating in a home-based exercise program (for 6 weeks) or hospital-based CPR (for 12-20 sessions) due to post-acute COVID-19 symptoms (fatigue, myalgia, dyspnea). Exclusion Criteria: Patients who had both a negative PCR test and chest CT Patients who had not completed the six minute walk test (6MWT), Borg scales, Short Form-36 and Visual analog scale-pain. Acute COVID-19 patients (patients whose symptoms had started less than one month previous)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Home based cardiopulmonary rehabilitation group<br>This was a retrospective study. 43 patients who had home based cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programme between January and July 2023, in our rehabilitation clinic. | Other: Exercise programme<br>* Both protocols consisted of aerobic, breathing and flexibility exercises. Hospital-based CPR: three or four days per week for a total of 20 sessions. Home-based CPR: three or four days/a week over a period of six weeks.<br>|
| Experimental: Hospital based cardiopulmonary rehabilitation group<br>This was a retrospective study. 45 patients who had hospital based cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programme between January and July 2023, in our rehabilitation clinic. | Other: Exercise programme<br>* Both protocols consisted of aerobic, breathing and flexibility exercises. Hospital-based CPR: three or four days per week for a total of 20 sessions. Home-based CPR: three or four days/a week over a period of six weeks.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Exercise endurance | Six minutes walk test (All patients walked along a 30-meter-long corridor without obstacles at their normal walking speed, how many meters they walked was noted.) | One day before exercise programme start and one day later exercise programme ends | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dyspnea | Borg scale were also measured before and after 6MWT for perceived dyspnea (scale range from 0 to 10) | One day before exercise programme start and one day later exercise programme ends | 
| Muscle fatigue | Borg muscle fatigue (scale range from 6 to 20: higher values show more severe symptoms) | One day before exercise programme start and one day later exercise programme ends | 
| short form 36 | A quality-of-life assessment was performed using the Short Form-36, which has 36 items regarding physical function, physical role, emotional role, energy, body pain, mental health, general health, and social function. The scale ranges from 0 (poor health) to 100 (perfect health) | One day before exercise programme start and one day later exercise programme ends | 
| Musculoskeletal Pain | Visual analog scale-pain was used to measure general body musculoskeletal pain, which was assessed from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst possible pain) | One day before exercise programme start and one day later exercise programme ends |