The timing of the commencement of pulmonary rehabilitation in hospitalized patients with acute exacerbation of COPD: a systematic review and network meta-analysis - PubMed
4 hours ago
- #Meta-analysis
- #COPD
- #Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is effective for patients with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) post-hospitalization, but optimal timing is debated.
- This systematic review and network meta-analysis evaluated PR initiation timing, analyzing 26 studies with 1,800 patients.
- PR within 2 weeks post-discharge reduces readmissions, improves dyspnea (mMRC), and enhances quality of life (SGRQ).
- PR initiated after 48 hours of admission improves exercise capacity (6MWT).
- No significant differences were found for mortality, FEV₁%, or dyspnea (mBorg scale) across different initiation timings.
- Combining early in-hospital and structured post-discharge PR is recommended for optimal outcomes.
- Further high-quality RCTs are needed to confirm optimal PR timing strategies.