Comparison of Pulmonary Telerehabilitation and Physical Activity Recommendations in Patients With Post Covid Fibrosis

Comparison of Pulmonary Telerehabilitation and Physical Activity Recommendations in Patients With Post Covid Fibrosis

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Pulmonary Telerehabilitation and Physical Activity Recommendations in Patients With Pulmonary Fibrosis Due to COVID-19

Rehabilitation plays a very important role in the management of patients with COVID-19, focusing on respiratory and motor functions, and therefore the importance of establishing treatment strategies to ensure optimal recovery of these patients has been emphasized. It has been stated that physical activity recommendations should be clarified for the management of symptoms associated with prolonged COVID-19 Syndrome and for the continuation of activities of daily living. It has been stated that after COVID-19 pneumonia, it is necessary to evaluate the physical functions of patients with long-term follow-up and to establish rehabilitation programs. The importance of being included in the rehabilitation program was emphasized, especially for patients with lung fibrosis. The primary aim of this study was to compare the effects of pulmonary telerehabilitation and physical activity recommendations on exercise capacity and peripheral muscle strength in patients with pulmonary fibrosis due to COVID-19. The secondary aim of this study is to compare the effects of pulmonary telerehabilitation and physical activity recommendations on symptoms, activity and participation in patients with pulmonary fibrosis due to COVID-19.

A total of 24 sessions of breathing exercises and high-repetitive muscle endurance and strengthening exercises will be applied to the pulmonary telerehabilitation group for 8 weeks, two days a week and one day a week unsupervised, via online systems. High-repetition muscle endurance and strengthening exercises will be applied to large muscle groups of the lower and upper extremities by creating resistance with body weight and theraband.

Respiratory exercises and physical activity recommendations will be given to the physical activity group. Physical activity recommendations are; It will include information about the importance of physical activity and walking 3-5 days a week for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity (4-6 on the Modified Borg scale of perceived exertion level).

Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale stratifies severity of dyspnea in respiratory diseases

Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) is a method of evaluating the impact of fatigue. FSS contains nine statements that rate the severity of your fatigue symptoms. A low value indicates strong disagreement with the statement, whereas a high value indicates strong agreement.

Post covid-19 functionality scale (PCFS): The PCFS scale stratifies functional status limitation as follows: grade 0 (No functional limitations), grade 1 (Negligible functional limitations), grade 2 (Slight functional limitations), grade 3 (Moderate functional limitations), grade 4 (Severe functional limitations), and grade 5 (death)

Inclusion Criteria: >18 years old Patients who have been infected with the COVID-19 virus at least three months ago and have been diagnosed with a positive PCR Patients with post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis followed by a pulmonologist Patients who have sufficient technological infrastructure to participate in the telerehabilitation program and can adapt to online systems Patients who are clinically stable Exclusion Criteria: Patients with orthopedic/neurological problems that prevent walking and exercise Patients with uncontrolled cardiovascular disease Patients with uncontrolled medical conditions