ABSTRACT
Background: Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) is recommended for patients that suffered from severe COVID19. The exercise and training response as well as predictors of response are not yet well studied. Aim(s): To study the response to an incremental exercise test performed before and after 12 weeks of outpatient PR. Method(s): An exercise test was conducted in 37 of 70 patients that completed PR after COVID19, (age 52+/-9, BMI 29+/-6, 20 male, FEV1 89+/-21%pre, 31 hospitalized). Result(s): Before starting PR, exercise tolerance was reduced. A cardiac, ventilatory, gas exchange and muscular limitation was observed in 24%, 22%, 37% and 45% of patients respectively. Physiologic limitations were inconclusive in 19% of patients. After completing PR, significant desaturation was still seen in 30% of patients. Rehabilitation increased Wmax by 58+/-55% and VO2max by 40+/-38% of baseline values with significant improvements in O2pulse (see table1). Multiple regression revealed that improvement in VO2peak was associated with gender (+386ml/min in male p=0.01 Partial R2=0.14), and Hospital anxiety and depression scale -21ml/min per baseline point in total score (partial R2 0.18 p=0.03). Quadriceps force did not significantly enter the model (p=0.1). Conclusion(s): Peak exercise tolerance increased rapidly upon initiation of PR in patients after COVID19. In patients with psychologic morbidity at baseline, this response seems somewhat blunted.