Background and Purpose
Dyspnea, fatigue, and reduced exercise tolerance are common in post‐COVID‐19 patients. In these patients, rehabilitation can improve functional capacity, reduce deconditioning after a prolonged stay in the intensive care unit, and facilitate the return to work. Thus, the present study verified the effects of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation consisting of continuous aerobic and resistance training of moderate‐intensity on pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, maximum and submaximal tolerance to exercise, fatigue, and quality of life in post‐COVID‐19 patients.
Methods
Quasi‐experimental study with a protocol of 12 sessions of an outpatient intervention. Adults over 18 years of age (
N
= 26) with a diagnosis of COVID‐19 and hospital discharge at least 15 days before the first evaluation were included. Participants performed moderate‐intensity continuous aerobic and resistance training twice a week. Maximal and submaximal exercise tolerance, lung function, respiratory muscle strength, fatigue and quality of life were evaluated before and after the intervention protocol.
Results
Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation improved maximal exercise tolerance, with 18.62% increase in peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) and 29.05% in time to reach VO
2
peak. VE/VCO
2
slope reduced 5.21% after intervention. We also observed increased submaximal exercise tolerance (increase of 70.57 m in the 6‐min walk test,
p
= 0.001), improved quality of life, and reduced perceived fatigue after intervention.
Discussion
Patients recovered from COVID‐19 can develop persistent dysfunctions in almost all organ systems and present different signs and symptoms. The complexity and variability of the damage caused by this disease can make it difficult to target rehabilitation programs, making it necessary to establish specific protocols. In this work, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation improved lung function, respiratory muscle strength, maximal and submaximal exercise tolerance, fatigue and quality of life. Continuous aerobic and resistance training of moderate intensity proved to be effective in the recovery of post‐COVID‐19 patients.
Objetivo: verificar o efeito do posicionamento do dreno pleural sobre a função pulmonar, força muscular respiratória e capacidade funcional de pacientes no pós-operatório imediato de revascularização do miocárdio. Metodologia: Revisão sistemática com busca de artigos nas bases de dados MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cochrane Central, LILACS, Scielo, CINAHL e Scopus, não havendo restrição quanto a data de publicação ou idioma. A qualidade metodológica dos estudos foi avaliada com base na Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Resultados: A estratégia de busca resultou em 95 títulos, dos quais sete foram incluídos nesta revisão, totalizando 313 participantes, incluindo ambos os sexos e idades entre 35 e 80 anos. Os desfechos encontrados nos estudos foram função pulmonar, força muscular respiratória, capacidade funcional, dor e complicações pulmonares. Conclusão: O dreno pleural subxifóide parece provocar uma menor redução na função pulmonar, enquanto os efeitos sobre a força muscular respiratória e complicações pulmonares ainda são conflitantes.
Objective: To verify the effects of face-to-face rehabilitation and telerehabilitation on tolerance to the maximum and submaximal exercise, lung function, fatigue intensity and quality of life of survivors of COVID-19. Methodology: This is a protocol of a longitudinal study, of intervention with a sample for convenience. Adults of both sexes who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR will be evaluated. After the assessment, they will receive guidance on how to perform exercises without supervision, will be referred to a face-to-face rehabilitation program or telerehabilitation, according to the results obtained in the six-minute walk test and the presence of comorbidities. Expected Results: Demonstrate the effects of exercise through face-to-face rehabilitation and telerehabilitation after being affected by COVID-19, as well as facilitating the development of treatment protocols aimed at the needs observed, aiming to reduce the repercussions caused by the disease and bring a new look to the physiotherapists who work in clinical practice.
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