Pulmonary Rehabilitation - Essay Example

Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Article Summary This paper gives a summary of the article, “Pulmonary Rehabilitation for Patients Who Undergo Lung-Volume-Reduction Surgery or Lung Transplantation” by Carolyn L. Rochester. The article considers patients that are recovering from lung transplantation or lung-volume-reduction surgery, LVRS as people with advanced chronic respiratory disease. Because of their severe ventilation limitation and disability, they are likely to present postoperative and preoperative complications.

Therefore, the article seeks to determine the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation for such patients.To achieve this objective, Rochester (2008) analyzes various relevant secondary sources. The researcher finds the need for preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation for patients preparing for lung transplantation or LVRS because such patients are medically complex and have exercise limitations and that these surgical procedures present substantial preoperative complications and risk of mortality.

Despite its ventilating limitation, it was found that this procedure improves peak work rate, walk distance, muscle strength, maximum oxygen consumption and quality of life. However, the researcher could not determine whether it increases surgery survival, surgery tolerance and adherence to medication. The research documents postoperative benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation including hastening recovery and optimizing functional status. There are no formal guidelines for pulmonary rehabilitation but the research suggests strength exercise training, alternating high and low intensity training and stretching and chest mobility exercises among others.

The findings give scientific evidence of effectiveness, safety and feasibility of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients seeking to undergo or recovering from lung transplantation or LVRS. However, the patients should be monitored to ensure that they do not show any signs of undesirable events. Appropriate safety precautions should be taught during training. Rochester (2008) proposes the need for future investigation of whether lung transplantation and LVRS outcome could be improved by improving symptom management and exercise tolerance.

ReferenceRochester, C. L. (2008). Pulmonary rehabilitation for patients who undergo lung-volume-reduction surgery or lung transplantation. Respiratory Care, 53 (9), 1196 – 1202.