EFFICACY OF PULMONARY TELEREHABILITATION OF CANCER PATIENTS INFECTED WITH COVID-19 VIRUS: PRELIMINARY DATA OF A PILOT STUDY
M. Chatterjee, S. Vijay Nakhate, B. Trivedi, S. Talole
Vol.4 (2021), pag. 50 - 53
EFFICACY OF PULMONARY TELEREHABILITATION OF CANCER PATIENTS INFECTED WITH COVID-19 VIRUS: PRELIMINARY DATA OF A PILOT STUDY
M. Chatterjee, S. Vijay Nakhate, B. Trivedi, S. Talole
Vol.4 (2021), pag. 50 - 53
| Received | 8/02/2021 |
| Accepted | 11/05/2021 |
| Published | 18/06/2021 |
| Review by | Single-blind |
| doi | https://doi.org/10.48252/JCR16 |
ABSTRACT
Introduction
The Global pandemic caused by Covid-19 virus has significant adverse effect on pulmonary health of the infected persons. However, no study has been yet published to find effect of pulmonary telerehabilitation on COVID-19 positive patients with pre-existing malignant diseases. We observed the efficacy of telerehabilitation of COVID-19 positive patients diagnosed with cancer in this study.
Materials and methods
20 patients with pre-existing malignancy admitted in the COVID-19 care hospital were provided telerehabilitation consisting of various pulmonary rehabilitation techniques depending on the severity of their symptoms. Modified Borg’s scale was used to assess dyspnoea at baseline and after 10 days of telerehabilitation.
Results
Significant improvement was found in Modified Borg Dyspnoea scale in 17(85%) out of 20 cases. Scaling down of Modified Borg Dyspnoea was observed in 9(90%) out 10 cases in less than 55 age group and 8(80%) out of 10 cases in more than 55 age group.
Conclusion
Pulmonary telerehabilitation may be an effective, safe, time saving and cost-effective method for pulmonary rehabilitation of Cancer patients with highly infectious disease like COVID-19. Further research on larger sample size can be conducted to come to a definitive conclusion.