Pulmonary Rehabilitation
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What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation?
An individually tailored exercise and education programme for patients with a confirmed respiratory diagnosis aimed at helping patients breathe better, be able to do more and improve quality of life. The programme is twice a week for 6 weeks and will be held at a local venue. For patients who are unable to access their local venue, other options may be available.
Inclusion Criteria
• Patient consents to referral
• COPD
• Bronchiectasis
• Interstitial lung disease
• Pre and post lung resection
• Pre and post lung transplantation
• Pre and post lung volume reduction surgery
• Post Covid or Long Covid where breathlessness is a significant limiting factor (this service is not available for the Medway or West Kent locality)
• Able to mobilise a minimum of 10m.
Exclusion Criteria
• Patients where exercise is contraindicated (severe heart failure, MI within the previous six weeks, unstable arrhythmias, unstable angina, moderate to severe aortic stenosis, unstable diabetes).
• Patients with severe neurological, orthopaedic or vascular problems, where mobility will limit participation to less than 10m
• Patients with severe progressive disease (undergoing active treatment for cancer or neuromuscular disease).
• Patients with inadequate balance who could not be left unattended.
• Patients not committed to instigating lifestyle changes.
• Patients with cognitive impairments unable to retain information related to treatment interventions or to follow commands.
• Patients who have completed pulmonary rehabilitation in the last 12 months and have had no significant change in their clinical condition.
• AAA >5.5cm.
Useful Website links
• Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) | Asthma + Lung UK (asthmaandlung.org.uk)
• Medway Community Healthcare PR service for Medway: Respiratory :: Medway Community Healthcare