Pulmonary Rehabilitation - how far it is useful?

Pulmonary Rehabilitation - how far it is useful?

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a comprehensive intervention used to improve the physical and psychological condition of patients with chronic lung disease and promote their adherence to the health-promoting behaviours.

It is one of the core component of the management of patients with chronic lung disease. Pulmonary rehabilitation advice is commonly given to the patients with COPD, Asthma, Interstitial Lung Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Bronchiectasis, Neuromuscular Disease, Pulmonary Hypertension, Lung Cancer, Lung Volume Reduction Surgery and Lung Transplantation patients in addition to other indications.

Pulmonary rehabilitation reduces breathlessness, increases the exercise capacity, improve the quality of life, pulmonary function, health care utilization and may improve survival in patients with chronic lung disease.

It includes patient-tailored therapies like exercise training, education, promotion of healthy behaviours (eg, smoking cessation, regular exercise, healthy nutrition, proper medication use, adherence to the prescribed medications and disease self-management), psychological support and behaviour change after thorough patient assessment. The primary aim of pulmonary rehabilitation is to restore the patient to the best possible level of independent functioning and is a new hope for patients with chronic lung diseases.

For symptomatic patients with lung disease that is impairing their quality of life pulmonary rehabilitation should be advised. Pulmonary rehabilitation reduces the extent of functional decline and hastens recovery and thus reducing the readmissions, health care costs and reduces the mortality.