HYPERCAPNIA AND FUNCTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS DURING PULMONARY REHABILITATION

Resumen

Hypercapnia is a relevant and frequent clinical issue that compromises functional status in stable and acute COPD subjects. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) aims, but not exclusively, to improve hypercapnia and hypoxemia. The aim of this study is to measure whether inpatient PR improves Partial Arterial Carbon Dioxide Pressure (PaCO2) and functional outcomes in hypercapnic and normocapnic COPD subjects. We hypothesize that subjects who improve functional status will also present improvements in PaCO2.Methods: Prospective cohort of moderate to very severe COPD subjects who underwent inpatient PR according to the ERS/ATS statement at CASA DI CURA VILLA SERENA, Piossasco, Italy. All individuals followed an assessment protocol that comprised a six-minute walk test, gait speed tests, lung function tests, and blood gas analysis. Student T-test and Bonferroni test were used in the analysis.Results: We screened 546 subjects from January 2018 to December 2020, who completed the PR protocol. Mean FEV1 45±26 (%pred). Table 1 shows improvements regarding walked distance and PaCO2, in hypercapnic (n= 135) and normocapnic (n= 385) subjects. It was excluded 26 hypocapnic patients. Both groups presented improvements in the walked distance. Hypercapnic subjects reduced significantly and clinically the PaCO2 level.Conclusions: PR other than the known functional improvements improves PaCO2 levels in hypercapnic patients.