Open AccessPulmonary rehabilitation for COPD: A narrative review and call for further implementation in Saudi Arabia
Author(s) -
Abdulelah M. Aldhahir,
Saeed M Alghamdi,
Jaber S Alqahtani,
Khaled A Alqahtani,
Ahmed M Al Rajah,
Bedor Alkhathlan,
Sally Singh,
Swapna Mandal,
John R. Hurst
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
annals of thoracic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.639
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1817-1737
pISSN - 1998-3557
DOI - 10.4103/atm.atm_639_20
Subject(s) - medicine , pulmonary rehabilitation , copd , exacerbation , quality of life (healthcare) , rehabilitation , multidisciplinary approach , physical therapy , pulmonary disease , workforce , disease management , intensive care medicine , pulmonary function testing , disease , nursing , social science , sociology , economic growth , parkinson's disease , economics
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common, preventable, and treatable condition, in which outcomes can be improved with careful management. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) comprises exercise and education, delivered by multidisciplinary teams. PR is a cost-effective management strategy in COPD patients which improves exercise performance, reduces dyspnea, reduces the risk of exacerbation, and improves health-related quality of life. All COPD patients appear to benefit irrespective of their baseline function, and PR has also been shown to be a clinically and cost-effective management approach following an acute exacerbation. COPD patients with greater disability and those recovering postexacerbation should be specifically targeted for PR. Due to limited current capacity, the latter group may not currently be able to benefit from PR. Therefore, there is a need for the wider implementation of PR services in Saudi Arabia, requiring us to address challenges including capacity and workforce competency.