title: Benefits of a 7-week outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program in COPD patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Respiratory rehabilitation programs (RR) are essential tools in the management of COPD.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We present the results of a 7-week outpatient rehabilitation program in terms of dyspnea, exercise tolerance and quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  The following parameters were evaluated before and after RR: dyspnea (mMRC scale), pulmonary function (FEVI, RV- residual volume), exercise tolerance (6MWT- 6 minutes walk test, CPET - cardiopulmonary exercise test), quality of life (SGROQ questionnaire). The RR program was outpatient, hospital based (7 weeks, 3 sessions/ week) and included: exercise training, therapeutic education, and psychological support.
  
  
  RESULTS
  25 patients, COPD stage II-IV GOLD (mean FEVI 44.5 +/-13% predicted), mean age 60.4 +/-12 years, 7 females, average BMI 27.14+/-4 kg/m2, average RV residual volume 221.55+/-86% predicted. Mean 6MWTdistance: 407.48 +/- 84 m and mean maximum power (Pmax) obtained on CPET: 75.67+/-30 Watts. All patients were symptomatic with significant dyspnea (3.06+/-0.7 on mMRC scale) and showed a significant impairment of quality of life: SGRO score 46.23+/- 14. At the end of RR program: dyspnea decreased with 0.67points on mMRC scale (p = 0.000), 6MWT distance increased with 58.5 m (p = 0.0071), Pmax obtained during CPET increased with 11.2 W, without reaching statistical significance (p> 0.05). SGRO score decreased by 5.59 points (p = 0.02). There were no significant improvements in FEV1 and RV values (p> 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our COPD patients, the 7 week outpatient rehabilitation program was effective, leading to improvement ofsymptoms, exercise tolerance and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Pneumology, Bucharest, Romania. haulicaalina@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Croitoru
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ioniţă
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stroescu
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pele
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gologanu
authors.forename: Andreea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dumitrescu
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marinescu
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Anghelescu
authors.forename: Miron
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alexandru
authors.lastname: Bogdan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome