The effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on the hospitalization rates and exercise endurance of patients with moderate or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effects of exercise therapy and health education on the hospitalization and exercise endurance of patients with moderate or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods A total of 86 patients with moderate or severe but stable COPD were divided randomly into an observation group (n=46) and a control group (n=40).The patients in both groups accepted general respiratory medical therapy.The patients in the observation group also accepted additional pulmonary rehabilitation therapy which consisted of exercise and health education while the patients in the control group only accepted health education and rehabilitation training guidance by telephone instead of standardized pulmonary rehabilitation therapy.The average recurrence of hospitalization,length of stay,and total bed time of all of the patients was tracked for a year before and after enrolment.Their 6 minute walking distance (6MWD) and quality of life (QOL) as reflected by using a scale recommended by the Chinese Society of Respiratory Disease before and after entering the study were evaluated.Results There was no significant difference between the groups in the year before entering the study in terms of their average frequency of hospitalization,length of stay or total bed time.In the year after enrollment average frequency of recurrence requiring hospitalization,length of stay and total bed time in the observation group all decreased significantly compared with the previous year,and all were significantly lower than in the control group.There were no significant differences between the groups in average 6MWD or average QOL score at entry,but in the subsequent year both groups' results improved significantly.Conclusion Long term pulmonary rehabilitation can not only enhance exercise endurance,it also improves QOL and relieves the economic burden of COPD patients on society.