Experiences of living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in relation to physical activity - "How the hills became steeper and steeper": a qualitative interview study.

Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease presenting with symptoms like dyspnoea, dry cough, and fatigue, which affect physical function and quality of life. No earlier qualitative studies have investigated physical activity in IPF. This study aims to explore experiences of living with IPF in relation to physical activity.

Preoperative physiotherapy prevents postoperative pulmonary complications after major abdominal surgery: a meta-analysis of individual patient data.

Questions: Among patients having elective abdominal surgery, how much does preoperative physiotherapy education with breathing exercise training reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), hospital length of stay and 12-month mortality? How stable are the treatment effects across different PPC definitions, including pneumonia? How much do the treatment effects on PPC, hospital length of stay and mortality vary within clinically relevant subgroups?

Design: Individual participant-level meta-analysis (n = 800) from two randomised controlled trials analysed with multivariable regression.

Participants: Adults undergoing major elective abdominal surgery.

Interventions: Experimental participants received a single preoperative session with a physiotherapist within 4 weeks of surgery and educated on PPC prevention with breathing exercises and early mobilisation.