Pulmonary rehabilitation in post-acute COVID-19 critical patients

Respiratory rehabilitation (RR) in pulmonary rehabilitation units with expertise in weaning from mechanical ventilation (MV) may have a significant role in the management of post-acute critical COVID-19 patients with a prolonged dependance from MV. Although these patients have a very severe functional impairment, they show in general a more significant and faster recovery of spontaneous ventilation and exercise capacity than patients undergo-ing rehabilitation after discharge from ICUs due to non-COVID respiratory problems.