COVID-19 recovery: benefits of multidisciplinary respiratory rehabilitation

Abstract

Many patients struggle with ongoing symptoms in different domains (physical, mental, cognitive) after hospitalisation for COVID-19, calling out for a multidisciplinary approach. An outpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme, according to a respiratory rehabilitation strategy, was set up for adult patients who were able to attend group sessions during 12 weeks. Results of 22 adult patients with COVID-19, of which 15 had required intensive care, were analysed and some general impressions and challenges of rehabilitation in COVID-19 were reported. Impressive results on physical recovery were determined after 6 weeks and 3 months, with significant improvement of lung function, muscle force and exercise capacity variables. A positive evolution of mental and cognitive burden was present, although less pronounced than the physical recovery. These mental and cognitive consequences seem, next to musculoskeletal and medical complications, the most challenging aspect of rehabilitating patients with COVID-19. These real-world data show feasibility and efficiency of a multidisciplinary respiratory rehabilitation programme after moderate to severe COVID-19 disease.

Keywords: COVID-19; pulmonary rehabilitation.

Figure 1

Difference in improvement between patients who stayed in the intensive care unit (ICU) and not. These graphs show the difference between patients who stayed in the ICU (n=15) and not (n=7). (A) Improvement in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) between baseline and 12 weeks after rehabilitation. (B) Improvement in % predicted of 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) between baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks after start of rehabilitation. (C) Improvement in % predicted of hand grip force (HGF) between baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks after start of rehabilitation. (D) Percentage of patients who reported cognitive deficits at baseline and 12 weeks after start of rehabilitation.