Affiliation:
1. Rehabilitation Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Rehabilitation Medical Center, West China Hospital, and Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
2. Rehabilitation Medicine Department, The Fifth People's Hospital of Sichuan Province, Chengdu,
China
3. Center for Rehabilitation Research, Jiangsu Province Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China
4. Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland
5. Department of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland
Abstract
Objective Assessing rehabilitation effectiveness for persistent symptoms post-infection with emerging viral respiratory diseases. Data sources Systematic review of seven databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PEDro, MedRxiv, CNKI, Wanfang) until 30 December 2023. Review methods Evaluated 101 studies (9593 participants) on respiratory function, exercise capacity, and quality of life. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for observational studies and non-RCTs, and the NIH Quality Assessment Tools for before-after studies. Results The most common rehabilitation program combined breathing exercises with aerobic exercise or strength training. Rehabilitation interventions significantly enhanced respiratory function, as evidenced by improvements on the Borg Scale (MD, −1.85; 95% CI, −3.00 to −0.70, low certainty), the mMRC Dyspnea Scale (MD, −0.45; 95% CI, −0.72 to −0.18, low certainty), and the Multidimensional Dyspnoea-12 Scale (MD, −4.64; 95% CI, −6.54 to −2.74, moderate certainty). Exercise capacity also improved, demonstrated by results from the Six-Minute Walk Test (MD, 38.18; 95% CI, 25.33–51.03, moderate certainty) and the Sit-to-Stand Test (MD, 3.04; 95% CI, 1.07–5.01, low certainty). Conclusion Rehabilitation interventions are promising for survivors of viral respiratory diseases, yet gaps in research remain. Future investigations should focus on personalizing rehabilitation efforts, utilizing remote technology-assisted programs, improving research quality, and identifying specific subgroups for customized rehabilitation strategies to achieve the best outcomes for survivors.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Shaanxi Bureau of Science and Technology
Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology
West China Hospital of Sichuan University
Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province
China Postdoctoral Science Foundation