Publication:
Outcome of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Post-Covid Pneumonia Survivors with Residual Lung Fibrosis

Simple item page
creativeworkseries.issnISSN 2822-1893 eISSN 2822-2016
dc.contributor.authorSuvedi, Rashmi
dc.contributor.authorGyawali, Manju
dc.contributor.authorShahi, Reema
dc.contributor.authorShrestha, Asmita
dc.contributor.authorThapa, Anisha
dc.contributor.authorAdhikari, Shradha
dc.contributor.authorTarmakar, Suraj
dc.contributor.authorChaudhary, Deepak
dc.contributor.authorKarthak, Ashish
dc.contributor.authorGurung, Naresh
dc.contributor.authorShrestha, Sanjeet Krishna
dc.date.accessioned2026-02-01T06:57:34Z
dc.date.available2026-02-01T06:57:34Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionRashmi Suvedi Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Bhaisepati, Nepal Manju Gyawali Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Bhaisepati, Nepal Reema Shahi Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Bhaisepati, Nepal Asmita Shrestha Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Bhaisepati, Nepal Anisha Thapa Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Bhaisepati, Nepal Shradha Adhikari Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Bhaisepati, Nepal Suraj Tarmakar Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Bhaisepati, Nepal Deepak Chaudhary Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Bhaisepati, Nepal Ashish Karthak Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Bhaisepati, Nepal Naresh Gurung Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Bhaisepati, Nepal Sanjeet Krishna Shrestha Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Bhaisepati, Nepal
dc.description.abstractAbstract: Background: A significant proportion of COVID-19 survivors develop residual pulmonary fibrosis, leading to persistent dyspnea, reduced exercise capacity, and impaired quality of life. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) may help address these sequelae, but evidence remains limited, particularly in low-resource settings. Objective: To evaluate the effect of an 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation program on functional outcomes in post-COVID pneumonia patients with residual lung fibrosis at Nepal Mediciti Hospital. Methods: This prospective cohort study was done from June 2020 to June 2021 and included adult patients with confirmed residual pulmonary fibrosis on imaging after COVID-19 pneumonia. Participants underwent a structured PR program comprising supervised aerobic and resistance training, breathing exercises, and patient education. Functional status was assessed using the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnea scale, and ergometer pre- and post-intervention. Results: Participants showed statistically significant improvements in all key outcomes. Mean MRC total score increased from 49.03 to 56.66 (mean difference 7.63, p < 0.001). Mean 6MWT distance improved substantially from 177.6 meters to 276.9 meters (mean difference 99.3 meters, p < 0.001). Significant reductions were observed in perceived fatigue and dyspnea, both at rest and after the 6MWT (p ≤ 0.003 for all Borg scale comparisons). The distribution of improvements varied among individuals, but most showed positive gains. Age showed a slight, non-significant negative correlation with the magnitude of 6MWT improvement. Conclusion: Pulmonary rehabilitation significantly improves functional capacity, dyspnea, and quality of life in patients with post-COVID residual lung fibrosis. These findings highlight the importance of integrating PR into post-COVID care pathways in resource-limited settings like Nepal.
dc.identifierhttps://doi.org/10.3126/nrj.v4i1.83185
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14572/4408
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherNepalese Respiratory Society
dc.subjectPulmonary rehabilitation
dc.subjectCOVID-19
dc.subjectresidual fibrosis
dc.subject6MWT
dc.subjectdyspnea
dc.subjectNepal
dc.titleOutcome of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Post-Covid Pneumonia Survivors with Residual Lung Fibrosis
dc.typeArticle
dspace.entity.typePublication
local.article.typeOriginal Article
oaire.citation.endPage11
oaire.citation.startPage3
relation.isJournalIssueOfPublication191aaf95-053b-4d4d-954f-4b5ec1147124
relation.isJournalIssueOfPublication.latestForDiscovery191aaf95-053b-4d4d-954f-4b5ec1147124
relation.isJournalOfPublication91ea7cc8-46b2-4796-94bd-2998c28b5ebb

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
3-11.pdf
Size:
1.79 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.86 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed to upon submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Publications

Connect with us

Nepal Health Research Council © 2026
Ramshah Path, Kathmandu Nepal P.O.Box 7626