Virtual Physical Prehabilitation in Lung Transplant Candidates: A Proof-of-Concept Study

This study aimed to preliminary test the effectiveness of 12-week virtual physical prehabilitation program followed by a maintenance phase. The main objective was to estimate the extent to which it affects exercise capacity, frailty, lower limb strength and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in lung transplant candidates. The program offered supervised strengthening exercises, independent aerobic exercises and weekly phone calls (maintenance phase). Primary outcome was the six-minute walk distance (6MWD). Secondary outcomes: the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), five-times sit-to-stand test (5STS), the St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) for HRQOL. Twenty patients were included (mean age 57.9; 6 women/14 men); fourteen completed the prehabilitation program and 5 completed the maintenance phase. There was no statistically significant improvement in 6MWD, SPPB or SGRQ after the 12-week program. Most patients either maintained or improved the 6MWT and SPPB scores. There was a significant improvement in the 5STS. After the maintenance phase, most patients either improved or maintained their scores in all outcomes except for the sub-score of symptoms in the SGRQ. A 12-week virtual physical prehabilitation program with a 12-week maintenance phase can help lung transplant candidates improve or maintain their physical function while waiting for transplantation

Thigh muscle strength and endurance in patients with COPD compared with healthy controls

SummaryThe aim of this study was to evaluate thigh muscle strength and endurance in patients with COPD compared with healthy controls. Forty-two patients (26 women; 16 men) with moderate to severe COPD and 53 (29 women; 24 men) age-matched healthy controls participated in the study. The subjects were tested for maximum voluntary contractions (MVC), endurance and fatigue of the thigh muscles on an isokinetic dynamometer (KinCom®). Endurance was expressed as the number of attained repetitions of knee extension and muscle fatigue as a fatigue index (FI).MVC in knee extension was 17% lower in female patients (P=0.017) but no difference was found in male patients (P=0.56) compared to controls. MVC in knee flexion was lower both in female (51%) (P<0.001) and male patients (40%) (P<0.001) compared to controls. Both female and male patients had significantly lower muscle endurance compared to controls. Female patients had a higher FI (22.5%) than female controls (10%) (P=0.001) while no difference was found regarding FI between male patients (15%) and male controls (10%) (P=0.103). The level of self-reported everyday physical activity did not differ between groups.The results showed impaired skeletal muscle function in COPD, except for MVC in knee extension in male patients. Female patients seemed to be more prone to decrease in thigh muscle function. More focus on improving muscle strength and muscle endurance should be considered when designing pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Patients with preserved level of physical activity can be included in exercise programs and gender-related differences should be taken into account

A Qualitative Study to Inform a More Acceptable Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program after Acute Exacerbation of COPD

Rationale: Current international guidelines for prevention of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) recommend enrolment and participation in a pulmonary rehabilitatio..

Implementation and maintenance of an enhanced pulmonary rehabilitation program in a single centre: An implementation study

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has major benefits for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). An enhanced PR program was developed with a self-management education intervention. The objective of our study was to evaluate the implementation of the enhanced PR program into a single centre. METHODS: Pre-post implementation study consisted of two evaluation periods: immediately after implementation and 18 months later. Guided by the RE-AIM framework, outcomes included: Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance. RESULTS: Reach: 70-75% of referred patients agreed to a PR program (n = 26). Effectiveness: Clinically important improvements occurred in some patients in functional exercise capacity (64% of the patients achieved clinical important difference in 6-min walk test in the first evaluation period and 44% in the second evaluation period), knowledge, functional status, and self-efficacy in both evaluation periods. Adoption: All healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in PR (n = 8) participated. Implementation: Fidelity for the group education sessions ranged from 76 to 95% (first evaluation) and from 82 to 88% (second evaluation). Maintenance: The program was sustained over 18 months with minor changes. Patients and HCPs were highly satisfied with the program. CONCLUSIONS: The enhanced PR program was accepted by patients and HCPs and was implemented and maintained at a single expert center with good implementation fidelity

European Society of Organ Transplantation (ESOT) Consensus Statement on Prehabilitation for Solid Organ Transplantation Candidates

Data Availability Statement: The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material (https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/articles/10.3389/ti.2023.11564/full#SM1), further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.Supplementary Material: The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/articles/10.3389/ti.2023.11564/full#supplementary-materialCopyright © 2023 The Authors. There is increasingly growing evidence and awareness that prehabilitation in waitlisted solid organ transplant candidates may benefit clinical transplant outcomes and improve the patient’s overall health and quality of life. Lifestyle changes, consisting of physical training, dietary management, and psychosocial interventions, aim to optimize the patient’s physical and mental health before undergoing surgery, so as to enhance their ability to overcome procedure-associated stress, reduce complications, and accelerate post-operative recovery. Clinical data are promising but few, and evidence-based recommendations are scarce. To address the need for clinical guidelines, The European Society of Organ Transplantation (ESOT) convened a dedicated Working Group “Prehabilitation in Solid Organ Transplant Candidates,” comprising experts in physical exercise, nutrition and psychosocial interventions, to review the literature on prehabilitation in this population, and develop recommendations. These were discussed and voted upon during the Consensus Conference in Prague, 13–15 November 2022. A high degree of consensus existed amongst all stakeholders including transplant recipients and their representatives. Ten recommendations were formulated that are a balanced representation of current published evidence and real-world practice. The findings and recommendations of the Working Group on Prehabilitation for solid organ transplant candidates are presented in this article.All costs related to taskforce and workgroup meetings were covered by ESOT, without external funding

Strategies for exercise assessment and training in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Rationale: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not only a common lung disease but is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) helps optimize function and independence by increasing exercise capacity, reducing symptoms and improving health related quality of life (HRQL). Exercise training is certainly a key component of the PR programs; however, many of its aspects still need to be better defined such as optimal exercise assessment and training modality for these patients. The general purpose of this thesis was to generate new knowledge that could contribute to new strategies for exercise assessment and training in patients with COPD. Methods and results: This thesis is comprised of four independent studies. Thigh muscle strength, endurance and fatigue were compared between 42 patients with moderate to severe COPD and 53 healthy controls (Study I). Impaired thigh muscle strength and endurance in patients with COPD was found, except for muscle strength in knee extension in male patients. Female patients had higher fatigue index than female controls while no difference was found between male patients and controls. The six-minute walk test (6MWD) performed on a non-motorized treadmill (6MWD-T) was compared with the 6MWD performed in a corridor (6MWD-C) in 16 healthy elderly subjects (Study II). They performed twelve tests (six 6MWD-C and six 6MWD-T) on two different days in a randomized order. An average discrepancy was found between the two methods with the subjects walking a shorter distance on the non-motorized treadmill. However, the results showed good test-retest reliability between days and test repetitions. A systematic review (Study III) was done of studies that investigated the effects of an arm training program in patients with COPD. The findings of this review indicated that there is evidence that an arm training program improves arm exercise capacity, but its effects on dyspnea, arm fatigue and healthy-related quality of life is unclear. Finally, a two-armed randomized controlled trial examined the effects of an arm training program on arm function, arm exercise capacity, muscle strength, symptoms and HRQL in patients with COPD (Study IV). The groups were randomized to arm training or sham. Compared with the changes observed in the control group, the magnitude of change in the intervention group was greater for arm function, arm exercise capacity and muscle strength. There was no difference between groups in HRQL or symptoms. Conclusions: Upper extremity resistance training improves arm exercise capacity, arm function and muscle strength in patients with COPD. Training and assessment of upper and lower limb muscles should be included into PR programs. The 6MWD performed on a non-motorized treadmill may offer an alternative option to the standard 6MWD when a 30-meter corridor is not available