Respiratory rehabilitation in elderly patients with COVID-19: A randomized controlled study
Open accessAbstract
Background Different degrees of disorders are reported in respiratory function, physical function and psychological function in patients with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially in elderly patients. With the experience of improved and discharged COVID-19 patients, timely respiratory rehabilitation intervention may improve prognosis, maximize functional preservation and improve quality of life (QoL), but there lacks of studies worldwide exploring the outcome of this intervention. Objective To investigate the effects of 6-week respiratory rehabilitation training on respiratory function, QoL, mobility and psychological function in elderly patients with COVID-19. Methods This paper reported the findings of an observational, prospective, quasi-experimental study, which totally recruited 72 participants, of which 36 patients underwent respiratory rehabilitation and the rest without any rehabilitation intervention. The following outcomes were measured: pulmonary function tests including plethysmography and diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), functional tests (6-min walk distance test), Quality of life (QoL) assessments (SF-36 scores), activities of daily living (Functional Independence Measure, FIM scores), and mental status tests (SAS anxiety and SDS depression scores). Results After 6 weeks of respiratory rehabilitation in the intervention group, there disclosed significant differences in FEV1(L), FVC(L), FEV1/FVC%, DLCO% and 6-min walk test. The SF-36 scores, in 8 dimensions, were statistically significant within the intervention group and between the two groups. SAS and SDS scores in the intervention group decreased after the intervention, but only anxiety had significant statistical significance within and between the two groups. Conclusions Six-week respiratory rehabilitation can improve respiratory function, QoL and anxiety of elderly patients with COVID-19, but it has little significant improvement on depression in the elderly.
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Our findings concur with the previous randomised controlled trial [14] that respiratory rehabilitation improves SpO2 in elderly patients with COVID-19 without COPD.
“Only one previous study among elderly patients (≥ 65 years) with COVID-19 without COPD using a randomised controlled trial of six-week respiratory rehabilitation found improvement in SpO2 [14], and our findings concur.”
From Effects of short-term breathing exercises on respiratory recovery in patients with COVID-19: a quasi-experimental study (2022) · cites this paper as [14]
The Method section includes patients aged 65 or older with COVID-19 and no COPD, and the Discussion describes improved respiratory function after six weeks of rehabilitation. The Method > Assessment section says SpO2 was measured before and after a six-minute walk, but the Results do not report an improvement in SpO2. Improved respiratory function does not establish the specific SpO2 finding attributed to this study. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn a randomised controlled trial, elderly patients (aged ≥ 65) with COVID-19 without COPD improved their SpO2 following respiratory rehabilitation [14].
“Only one previous study among elderly patients (≥ 65 years) with COVID-19 without COPD using a randomised controlled trial of six-week respiratory rehabilitation found improvement in SpO2 [14], and our findings concur.”
From Effects of short-term breathing exercises on respiratory recovery in patients with COVID-19: a quasi-experimental study (2022) · cites this paper as [14]
The Method section describes an open randomized trial of six-week respiratory rehabilitation in patients aged at least 65 with COVID-19 and no COPD. The Assessment section says SpO2 was measured, but the Results report improvements in pulmonary-function measures and six-minute walk distance, not an improvement in SpO2. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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- Authors
- Liu, K., Zhang, W., Yang, Y., Zhang, J., Li, Y., & Chen, Y.
- Affiliations
- Hainan General Hospital (CN)
- Huanggang Central Hospital (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Chen, Ying
- Venue
- Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-05
- Volume
- 39
- Pages
- 101166
- ISSN
- 1744-3881 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7118596
- OpenAlex
- W3013906377
- Cited by
- 744
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 25 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 100 · 2023: 160 · 2022: 171 · 2021: 174 · 2020: 73
- FWCI
- 62.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research
- Keywords
- pulmonary rehabilitation, COVID-19 pandemic, elderly patients, lung function, quality of life, anxiety, depression, 6-minute walk test, activities of daily living, functional independence, post-discharge rehabilitation
- MeSH terms
- Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Anxiety, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pneumonia, Viral, Prospective Studies, Quality of Life, Respiratory Function Tests, Respiratory Therapy, Walking, Coronavirus Infections, Pandemics
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