Functional Strength Training and Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Severe Acute Exacerbations of COPD

• Status: Recruiting
• Trial end date: 2023-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is highly prevalent and frequently punctuated by severe acute exacerbations (AECOPD), defined as a temporary worsening of symptoms which leads to hospitalisation. AECOPD result in physical inactivity, muscle weakness and decreased exercise capacity, which impacts negatively on patients' health status, and increases patients' susceptibility for new exacerbations and death. To date, light aerobic exercises, such as early mobilisation and low-intensity ambulation, have become part of standard of care during severe AECOPD. Nevertheless, additional strength training using neuromuscular electrical stimulation and functional exercises, which have been shown to prevent skeletal muscle dysfunction whilst inducing minimal stress in the ventilatory system, might be of added value to optimize patients' functional performance and symptoms during activities at discharge.

Therefore, this randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of additional functional strength training and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on top of standard of care during hospitalisation for an AECOPD to enhance functional performance, symptoms of dyspnoea and fatigue during activities, and readmission rate.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Hasselt University
• Treatments: Fenoterol, ipratropium drug combination

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• hospitalised due to an AECOPD according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria

• included within 48h of hospital admission

• able to provide informed consent

• dutch speaker

Exclusion Criteria:

• need for mechanical ventilation or admission in the intensive care unit

• unstable cardiovascular disease

• hospitalization in the previous month

• significant musculoskeletal or neuromuscular impairment that precludes the performance of the tests or participation in the study

• signs of cognitive impairment

• current neoplastic or immunological disease

• implantable electronic devices (e.g., pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator [ICD], cardiac resynchronization therapy [CRT] device)

• sensitivity alterations