title: Impact of a pulmonary rehabilitation programme on respiratory parameters and health care utilization in patients with chronic lung diseases other than COPD.
abstract: Pulmonary rehabilitation is a tool that is receiving more acceptance in chronic lung diseases. A retrospective study was made in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the impact of pulmonary rehabilitation on respiratory parameters and health care utilization in a group of outpatients with chronic lung diseases other than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A group of 51 patients diagnosed with interstitial lung diseases, bronchiectasis, asthma and scoliosis were studied. Initial number of emergency department visits and hospital admissions and use of prednisone and antibiotics were significantly associated with adherence to the pulmonary rehabilitation programme. There was a significant improvement in functional exercise capacity as manifested on the 6-minute walking distance and distance on treadmill, bicycle and arm ergometer and significantly better utilization of health care resources (fewer emergency department and outpatient department visits) over the 12 months after completion of the programme.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. almoamary@yahoo.com
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Al Moamary
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile