ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a short-term inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation treatment program including inspiratory muscle training and reconditioning exercise in pneumoconiosis patients. METHOD: Thirty pneumoconiosis patients have undergone a 3-week inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program. The program included a inspiratory muscle strengthening, relaxation technique and reconditioning exercise such as walking and upper extremity strengthening. The effectiveness of treatment was evaluated by a pulmonary function test, 6-minute walk distance and 150 mm-visual analog dyspnea scale before and after the program. RESULTS: After the 3-week inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program, there was a significant increase in 6-minute walk distance(p<0.01) and a significant decrease in 150 mm-visual analog dyspnea scale(p<0.01). However the pulmonary function test showed no significant change. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the short-term inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program can improve the exercise tolerance by reduction of dyspnea and increase of walk distance, and ultimately increase the quality of life in pneumoconiosis patients.
