Smartphone application-based pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD: a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an essential element of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management. However, access to conventional face-to-face PR programmes is limited.

Methods: This multicentre, randomised controlled trial recruited patients with COPD from 18 sites in Germany and Switzerland, aiming to evaluate the impact of 12 weeks of a mobile app (intervention group; IVG) on quality of life, measured by COPD Assessment Test (CAT), and exercise capacity, assessed by 1-minute-sit-to-stand-test (1MSTST), compared with a control group (CTG) receiving 'enhanced standard-of-care'.

A High-Intensity versus Moderate-Intensity Exercise Training Programme in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency-Related COPD (IMAC): A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Training-induced adaptations of the oxidative capacity have been shown to be blunted in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD)-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To improve training outcomes in AATD, this study was aimed to compare the effects of two exercise training programmes with different training intensities.

Methods: Thirty patients with AATD (genotype PiZZ) and COPD III-IV were randomly assigned to either high-intensity (HIT) or moderate-intensity training (MIT), each consisting of endurance, strength, and squat training for a duration of 3 weeks.

Bronchodilator Response in Post-COVID-19 Patients Undergoing Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 infections can result in a broad spectrum of symptoms from mild to life-threatening. Long-term consequences on lung function are not well understood yet.

Methods: In our study, we have examined 134 post-COVID patients (aged 54.

Unravelling the complex interplay of factors behind exercise limitations and physical inactivity in COPD.

Exercise limitation and physical inactivity are known treatable traits for people with COPD. Maximising exercise capacity and keeping people physically active improves health status and survival rates among people with COPD. However, managing these two treatable traits can be extremely challenging for clinicians due to the complex intersectionality of factors influencing an individual's capacity, opportunity and motivation to engage in physical activity.

COVID-19 in Lung Transplant Recipients: A Report on 10 Recent Cases.

Due to immunosuppression, transplant recipients are at higher risk of infections with SARS-CoV-2 and worse clinical outcomes than immunocompetent hosts. Furthermore, lung transplant patients represent a special group among solid organ recipients, since pneumonia is the main manifestation of COVID-19. However, data on the course of disease and the changes in morbidity and mortality during the course of the pandemic are limited.

Potential Diaphragm Muscle Weakness-related Dyspnea Persists 2 Years after COVID-19 and Could Be Improved by Inspiratory Muscle Training: Results of an Observational and an Interventional Clinical Trial.

Diaphragm muscle weakness might underlie persistent exertional dyspnea, despite normal lung and cardiac function in individuals who were previously hospitalized for acute coronavirus disease (COVID-19) illness. The authors sought, first, to determine the persistence and pathophysiological nature of diaphragm muscle weakness and its association with exertional dyspnea 2 years after hospitalization for COVID-19 and, second, to investigate the impact of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on diaphragm and inspiratory muscle weakness and exertional dyspnea in individuals with long COVID. Approximately 2 years after hospitalization for COVID-19, 30 individuals (11 women, 19 men; median age, 58 years; interquartile range [IQR] = 51-63) underwent comprehensive (invasive) respiratory muscle assessment and evaluation of dyspnea.

European pathways of care in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency.

Background: Despite initiatives to improve awareness and treatment of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), country-level processes for AATD management remain unclear.

Objectives: We conducted a pan-European physician survey to clarify the pathways for AATD care.

Method: Professionals involved in AATD diagnosis and/or management completed a web-based survey on the detection, evaluation, monitoring and treatment of AATD and the utilisation of European reference network centres for rare lung diseases (ERN-LUNG).

Practical Recommendations for Exercise Training in Patients with Long COVID with or without Post-exertional Malaise: A Best Practice Proposal.

People with long COVID may suffer from a wide range of ongoing symptoms including fatigue, exertional dyspnea, reduced exercise performance, and others. In particular, impaired exercise performance is a condition that can be recovered in many people through an individualized physical exercise training program. However, clinical experience has shown that the presence of post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a significant barrier to physical exercise training in people with long COVID.

Impaired Sleep in Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome Compared to Healthy Controls: A Cross-Sectional Trial.

Introduction: To objectify self-reported sleep disorders in individuals with post-COVID-syndrome (PCS), we aimed to investigate the prevalence and nature of sleep disturbances by polysomnography (PSG) in PCS compared to healthy individuals.

Methods: People with PCS (n = 21) and healthy controls (CON, n = 10) were included in this prospective trial. At baseline, clinical and social anamnesis, lung function, 1 min sit-to-stand test (STST) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were assessed.

Optimising upper-limb exercise in patients with COPD: another step towards personalised pulmonary rehabilitation?

https://bit.ly/41KSLAs.

Home noninvasive ventilation in severe COPD: in whom does it work and how?

Background: Not all hypercapnic COPD patients benefit from home noninvasive ventilation (NIV), and mechanisms through which NIV improves clinical outcomes remain uncertain. We aimed to identify "responders" to home NIV, denoted by a beneficial effect of NIV on arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and survival, and investigated whether NIV achieves its beneficial effect through an improved .

Methods: We used individual patient data from previous published trials collated for a systematic review.

Rehabilitative interventions in patients with persistent post COVID-19 symptoms-a review of recent advances and future perspectives.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has not only caused millions of deaths but left also millions of people with persistent symptoms behind. These long-term COVID-19 sequelae cause a considerable burden on individuals´ health, healthcare systems, and economies worldwide given the high rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Therefore, rehabilitative interventions and strategies are needed to counteract the post COVID-19 sequelae.

S2k-Guideline SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 and (early) rehabilitation - a consensus-based guideline for Germany.

The consensus-based guideline "SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 and (early) rehabilitation" for Germany has two sections: In the first part, the guideline addresses infection protection-related procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second part, it provides practice recommendations for rehabilitation after COVID-19. The specific recommendations for rehabilitation after COVID-19 as issued by 13 German medical societies and two patient-representative organizations are presented together with general background information for their development.

The use of time-of-flight camera to assess respiratory rates and thoracoabdominal depths in patients with chronic respiratory disease.

Introduction: Over the last 5 years, the analysis of respiratory patterns presents a growing usage in clinical and research purposes, but there is still currently a lack of easy-to-use and affordable devices to perform such kind of evaluation.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to validate a new specifically developed method, based on Kinect sensor, to assess respiratory patterns against spirometry under various conditions.

Methods: One hundred and one participants took parts in one of the three validations studies.

Prescribing and adjusting exercise training in chronic respiratory diseases - Expert-based practical recommendations.

Background: International guidelines recommend endurance (ET) and strength training (ST) in patients with chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), but only provide rough guidance on how to set the initial training load. This may unintentionally lead to practice variation and inadequate training load adjustments. This study aimed to develop practical recommendations on tailoring ET and ST based on practices from international experts from the field of exercise training in CRDs.

International perspectives on outcome measurement in pulmonary rehabilitation of people with COPD: A qualitative study.

Background: There is high heterogeneity of outcomes and measures reported in the literature for pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), which might limit benchmarking and an effective evidence synthesis. A core outcome set (COS) can minimise this problem. It is however unclear which outcomes and measures are most important and suitable for different stakeholders.

Using a smartphone application maintains physical activity following pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Evidence suggests that patients with COPD struggle to maintain improved physical activity (PA) after completing pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). Smartphone applications (apps) providing a comprehensive training programme have conferred healthy benefits. This study was conducted to determine whether regular usage of an app maintains PA following PR.

Perceptions of Noninvasive Ventilation During Exercise in Noninvasive Ventilation-Naïve Patients With COPD.

Background: The perceptions of using noninvasive ventilation (NIV) during exercise in patients with COPD who are naïve to NIV is unknown. The present study aimed to examine the perceptions of using NIV during exercise in people with COPD and to determine the relationship between patient perceptions with both baseline patient characteristics and exercise outcomes.

Methods: During a trial examining the effect of NIV during exercise on dynamic hyperinflation in people with COPD who were naïve to NIV, participants completed a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire (scored strongly disagree -2 to strongly agree +2) before and after using NIV during exercise and a semi-structured interview after using NIV during exercise.

Inspiring stories: the impact that being part of ERS activities can have on a professional career.

https://bit.ly/32sHNW2.

Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients with Long COVID Improves Exercise Capacity, Functional Status, Dyspnea, Fatigue, and Quality of Life.

Background: COVID-19 survivors face the risk of long-term sequelae including fatigue, breathlessness, and functional limitations. Pulmonary rehabilitation has been recommended, although formal studies quantifying the effect of rehabilitation in COVID-19 patients are lacking.

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study including consecutive patients admitted to an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation center due to persistent symptoms after COVID-19.

Automatic oxygen titration versus constant oxygen flow rates during walking in COPD: a randomised controlled, double-blind, crossover trial.

Rationale: In patients with COPD, oxygen (O)-supplementation via a constant flow oxygen system (CFOS) can result in insufficient oxygen saturation (SpO <90%) during exercise. An automatically titrating O-system (ATOS) has been shown to be beneficial compared with an untitrated CFOS, however, it is unknown if ATOS is superior to CFOS, titrated during exercise as stipulated by guidelines. The aim was to investigate the effects of ATOS compared with titrated CFOS on walking capacity in people with hypoxaemic COPD.