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Evidence summary BITE 18.1 – Pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD

Who needs to know?

  • Providers of Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR).
  • Patients admitted to hospital with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

What have we found?

  • PR delivered within a month of hospital discharge following an exacerbation of COPD is safe. Early PR can improve prognosis by addressing risk factors for further exacerbations (e.g. low exercise tolerance).

  • The safety and efficacy of exercise training during the hospitalisation episode itself remains uncertain.