The effects of maintenance schedules following pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomised controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) provides benefit for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in terms of quality of life (QoL) and exercise capacity; however, the effects diminish over time. Our aim was to evaluate a maintenance programme for patients who had completed PR.

Setting

Primary and secondary care PR programmes in Norfolk.

Participants

148 patients with COPD who had completed at least 60% of a standard PR programme were randomised and data are available for 110 patients. Patients had greater than 20 pack year smoking history and less than 80% predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s but no other significant disease or recent respiratory tract infection.

Interventions

Patients were randomised to receive a maintenance progra

SUBMITTER: Wilson AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4360719 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature