Rh. Green et al., A randomised controlled trial of four weeks versus seven weeks of pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, THORAX, 56(2), 2001, pp. 143-145
Background-Pulmonary rehabilitation programmes have been shown to improve b
oth exercise tolerance and health status in patients with chronic obstructi
ve pulmonary disease (COPD). The optimal duration for a pulmonary rehabilit
ation programme is, however, unknown. To assess whether the current pulmona
ry rehabilitation programme could be shortened a randomised controlled tria
l was conducted in 44 patients with COPD who were allocated to either a sev
en week or a four week course.
Methods-Patients were randomised to either our standard seven week twice we
ekly outpatient based programme or a comparable but shortened four week cou
rse. They were assessed at baseline and at completion by the Chronic Respir
atory Questionnaire (CRQ), the Breathing Problems Questionnaire (BPQ), the
incremental shuttle walking test (SWT), and the treadmill endurance test (T
ET). Results-Twenty one patients (61% men) of mean (SD) age 68 (9.2) years
and forced expiratory volume in one second ( FEV,) 1.08 (0.4)1 completed a
conventional seven week course and 23 (67% men) of mean (SD) age 69 (8.8) y
ears and FEV, 1.03 (0.3)1 completed a shortened four week course. Patients
who completed the seven week rehabilitation programme had greater improveme
nts in all outcome measures than those undertaking the four week course. Th
ese differences reached clinical and statistical significance for the total
CRQ score, which was the primary outcome variable (mean difference (95% co
nfidence intervals (CI) of difference) -0.61(-0.15 to -1.08), p<0.05), and
the CRQ domains of dyspnoea (-0.80 (95% CI -0.13 to -1.48), p<0.05), emotio
n (-0.89 (95% CI -0.33 to -1.45), p<0.005), and mastery (-0.84 (95% CI -0.1
0 to -1.58), p<0.05). There were also trends towards greater improvements i
n exercise assessments in the seven week group but the differences did not
reach statistical significance (SWT: mean difference -16.9 (95% CI 24.8 to
-58.6), p=0.41; TET: geometric mean difference -1.21 (95% CI -0.60 to -2.47
), p=0.56).
Conclusions-A seven week course of pulmonary rehabilitation provides greate
r benefits to patients than a four week course in terms of improvements in
health status. Larger prospective studies are required to determine the opt
imal duration of a pulmonary rehabilitation programme. (Thorax 2001;56:143-
145).