Elsevier

Respiratory Medicine

Volume 185, August–September 2021, 106473
Respiratory Medicine

Original Research
Pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with interstitial lung diseases: Correlates of success

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2021.106473Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Highlights

  • Benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation in Interstitial Lung Diseases were reported.

  • Rehabilitation improves exercise capacity, independent of different conditions.

  • The benefits are lower in subjects needing oxygen at rest.

  • Without any appropriate strategy the benefits of are lost in the long-term.

  • It is important to refer patients to rehabilitation in early stages of diseases.

Abstract

Background and aim

Benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation in Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILD) have been reported. The aim of this large multicenter study was to identify the success predictors of pulmonary rehabilitation in a real-life setting.

Methods

Data of 240 in-patients (110 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 106 ILD other than IPF and 24 undetermined ILD) undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation in a 10-year period were retrospectively evaluated. Six minute walking distance (6MWT), body weight–walking distance product tests, dyspnoea and arterial blood gases were assessed at admission and discharge. Differences in post rehabilitation changes in outcome measures as function of baseline characteristics were evaluated.

Results

After rehabilitation, patients showed improvements in all outcome measures (p < 0.05), regardless of the underlying diagnosis or disease severity. Patients needing oxygen therapy at rest showed reduced benefits. Baseline 6MWD inversely correlated with its changes at discharge. Non-significant greater benefits after rehabilitation were found in IPF patients under antifibrotic therapy. In a subset of 50 patients assessed on average 10.3 ± 3.5 months after discharge, the benefits in 6MWD were not maintained (312.9 ± 139.4, 369.7 ± 122.5 and 310.8 ± 139.6 m at admission, discharge and follow up respectively: p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Pulmonary rehabilitation may improve dyspnoea, exercise capacity and fatigue in patients with ILD of different aethiologies and level of severity. The long-term effects need to be established.

Keywords

Dyspnoea
Exercise capacity
Antifibrotic therapy
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Cited by (0)