Early pulmonary rehabilitation after acute exacerbation of COPD: a randomised controlled trial

Figures

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  FIGURE 1. Flowchart of the study design. COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; PR: pulmonary rehabilitation; AECOPD: acute exacerbation of COPD; GOLD: Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; PFT: pulmonary function test; MRC: medical research council dyspnoea scale; ISWT: incremental shuttle walk test; ESWT: endurance shuttle walk test; CAT: COPD assessment test.

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  FIGURE 2. Screening, randomisation and study completion. AECOPD: acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; PR: pulmonary rehabilitation; PFT: pulmonary function test. #: excluded (n=547): declined to participate (n=125); death in hospital (n=30); life expectancy <6 months (n=134); other rehabilitation programme (n=126); living in nursing home (n=29); not COPD (n=30); residence outside Gentofte Hospital's admission area (n=73).

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  FIGURE 3. Cumulative incidence of hospital readmissions and mortality. Competing risk analysis (Fine and Gray) of hospital readmission with death as competing risk. Adjusted for age, sex, forced expiratory volume in 1 s and COPD Assessment Test. Hazard ratio 0.79 (95% CI 0.47–1.23), p=0.33. Arrows show the start of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR).

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  FIGURE 4. Mortality. Kaplan–Meier plot showing survival. Log-rank test p=0.59. Arrows show the start of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR).

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  FIGURE 5. Exercise capacity and quality of life. Functional measures in a) incremental shuttle walk test and b) endurance shuttle walk test, and c) quality of life in COPD Assessment Test at baseline, 2 months and 6 months follow-up. PR: pulmonary rehabilitation. *: p<0.05.