Abstract

The majority of people with chronic respiratory disability suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is very important in this group patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program for outpatients with moderate to severe COPD during a 8 –week follow-up. Thirty patiens with mild-moderate COPD were included in this study. The patients were randomised into two groups: group 1 (PR group), 20 patients (17 men, 3 women) were assigned to receive specific pulmonary rehabilitation program, three times a week, each session consisting of 45- 60 minutes, for two months; and group 2, 10 patients (7 men, 3 women) were assigned to be nontraining control group. The PR program-induced changes were in the group 1 for the following variables; MVV, PEF, VO2 max, work load, exercise endurance time (p<0,05). Statistically significant difference were observed between the pre-rehabilitation and postrehabilitation term in the group 1 in back depression score (p<0,05). In conclusion, positive impacts of PR in moderate-severe COPD patients were significant improvement in exercise tolerance, respiratory muscle strength and endurance, aerobic capacity, and health status.