Table 2. Studies on early rehabilitation in hospitalized COPD patients with ventilatory support.
| In-patient | References | Population | n | Onset | Training modality | Session length | Session frequency | Training duration | Muscle outcomes | Other outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive | Nava et al. 1998 (43) | Severe COPD; 2/3 IMV |
80 | 3–5 days after admission to RICU | Step I: passive mobilization | 30–45 min | 2x/day | Until discharge | ↑ 6MWD; ↑ MIP | ↓ dyspnea |
| Step II: early deambulation | ||||||||||
| Step III: respiratory and lower skeletal muscle training | ||||||||||
| Step IV: lower extremity training with treadmill | ||||||||||
| Non-volitional | Zanotti et al. 2003 (44) | COPD; IMV (tracheotomized); bed bound |
24 | NA | NMES + active limb mobilization | Up to 30 min | 5x/wk | 4 weeks | ↑ muscle strength; ↓ time bed to chair | – |
| Abdellaoui et al. 2011 (45) | Severe COPD; 1/3 IMV (intubated); 1/3 NIV |
15 | 12±8 days after admission to RICU | NMES + active-passive mobilization | 1 h/day | 5x/wk | 6 weeks | ↑ 6MWD; ↑ muscle strength; ↑ type I; ↓ protein carbonylation | ||
| Combined | Akar et al. 2017 (39) | Conscious COPD; IMV (intubated) |
30 | Earlier but time not specified | NMES + active exercise | NA | 5x/wk | 20 sessions | ↑ muscle strength; ↓ blood cytokines | – |
IMV, Invasive mechanical ventilation; NIV, non-invasive ventilation; RICU, respiratory intensive care unit; 6MWD, 6-minute walking distance; MIP, maximal inspiratory pressure; NA, not available; wk, week; NMES, neuromuscular electrical stimulation.