Evaluation of the effectiveness of the third stage rehabilitation in patients after COVID-19 in a day hospital

I n t r o d u c t i o n . For patients with the consequences of COVID-19 it seems relevant to undergo a rehabilitation program to restore the respiratory function, oxygen uptake by tissues, increase exercise tolerance, etc. Rehabilitation includes aerobic-based exercises adequate to the patient’s state and physical capabilities, breathing exercises and physiotherapy modalities.

A i m . To evaluate the effectiveness of the third stage rehabilitation in patients aged 18–45 years with the consequences of COVID-19 (U07.1) in a day hospital of multispecialty hospital.

M a t e r i a l s a n d m e t h o d s . One hundred and thirty-nine patients aged 18–45 years with a verified diagnosis of pneumonia associated with COVID-19 (U07.1) were examined in a day hospital of multispecialty hospital. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 107 patients of the 1st group underwent the third stage rehabilitation; 32 people from who made up the 2nd group refused rehabilitation. The severity of dyspnea was assessed using the Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnea Scale; functional impairment in the performance of activities of daily living – according to the Baseline Dyspnea Index and Transitional Dyspnea Index scales; exercise tolerance – according to the 6-minute walk test and the modified Borg Scale; the severity of anxiety and depression – according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); pain intensity – according to the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); quality of life – according to the EuroQoL Five-Dimension Questionnaire (EQ-5D). Statistical processing of the obtained results was carried out.

R e s u l t s . In the group of patients who completed rehabilitation, upon follow-up examination, there was a significant decrease in complaints, normalization of a number of hemodynamic parameters, an improvement in the 6-minute walk test scores, a decrease in the severity of dyspnea according to the MRC Dyspnea Scale by 1.8 times, a decrease in anxiety according to the HADS by 2.1 times, a decrease in pain according to the VAS by 3.2 times, an improvement in exercise tolerance according to the modified Borg Scale by 1.8 times and quality of life – according to the EQ-5D by 1.4 times. In the group of patients who refused rehabilitation, the change in these indicators was not significant.

C o n c l u s i o n . For patients who have had pneumonia associated with SARS-CoV-2, it is advisable to go through the third stage rehabilitation in a day hospital in order to restore the respiratory functions, increase exercise tolerance, reduce anxiety and improve quality of life.

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