Pulmonary rehabilitation: insight into current trends

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a widely accepted therapeutic tool used to improve the quality of life and functional capacity of individuals with chronic lung disease. It is a multidisciplinary, comprehensive program designed to optimise autonomy and physical performance in patients with chronic respiratory impairment. There is sufficient evidence to support the use of pulmonary rehabilitation for a subset of patients and to indicate that it can improve exercise tolerance and symptoms of dyspnoea, as well as enhance health-related quality of life of patients with COPD and other respiratory conditions. According to projections in the Global Burden of Disease Study, COPD will be the fifth leading cause of disability-adjusted-life-year loss worldwide in 2020. The goal of pulmonary rehabilitation is to help the individual achieve the highest level of independent functioning by improving pulmonary function, increasing exercise endurance and exercise work capacity, reducing dyspnoea and normalising blood gases. Locally, no pulmonary rehabilitation service as described by respiratory societies is offered. Therefore, this paper will look into the current research focusing on future recommendations for this service in the international setting with an aim of implementing this into the local health care system. Anabel Sciriha* BSc (Hons), MSc (Sheffield), SRP Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta Email: [email protected] Stephen Montefort MD, PhD Consultant Respiratory Physician, Mater Dei Hospital