@misc{10481/110041,
year = {2025},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/110041},
abstract = {Purpose: To assess the efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on fatigue in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS).
Methods: A systematic review and a meta-analysis were performed until 21 October 2024 in 4
databases (CINAHL, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science). Inclusion criteria: Population: patients
(≥18 years) with PCS; Intervention: PR; Comparison: control group (CG) vs. placebo; Outcome:
fatigue assessed before and after the intervention; Study: randomized clinical trials. Methodological
quality was assessed with Downs and Black scale and risk of bias with Cochrane risk-of-bias tool.
Meta-analysis was conducted with RevMan 5.4.
Results: Thirteen studies were included in the systematic review and 10 in the meta-analysis. The
meta-analysis showed a moderate effect size (SMD=-0.59, 95% CI=-0.89, -0.28; p=0.0002, n=973) in
favor of PR compared to CG for fatigue, with significant differences. Compared to CG, fatigue in
patients with PCS was reduced to a greater extent in PR group (both center-based PR and home-based PR, and both <12 weeks of PR and ≥12 weeks of PR), with significant differences.
Conclusion: This review demonstrates the efficacy of PR as a promising intervention for alleviating
fatigue in patients with PCS, revealing a significantly greater reduction in fatigue in PR group
compared to CG.},
organization = {Association of Physiotherapists of Andalusia [AI-05/2022]},
organization = {Spanish Society for Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery [Proyecto 1216]},
organization = {Spanish Ministry of Universities for the training of university teachers [FPU: 22/00430]},
publisher = {Taylor and Francis},
keywords = {COVID-19},
keywords = {Exercise Training},
keywords = {Fatigue},
title = {Does pulmonary rehabilitation improve fatigue in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome? A metaanalysis of randomized clinical trials},
doi = {10.1080/09638288.2025.2546553},
author = {Pérez-Gisbert, Laura and Brea-Gómez, Beatriz and Valenza, Marie Carmen and Calvache Mateo, Andrés and Ortiz Rubio, Araceli and Torres Sánchez, Irene},
}