Effectiveness Of Integrated Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs For Patients With Coexisting COPD And Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A One-Year Prospective Study

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) often coexist, leading to severe respiratory impairment due to compounded pathological changes in the lungs. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs aim to improve respiratory function, enhance exercise tolerance, and elevate the quality of life for patients with chronic respiratory diseases. However, data on their effectiveness in patients with coexisting COPD and PTB in resource-constrained settings are limited. This prospective, interventional study was conducted over one year at Maharshi Devraha Baba Autonomous State Medical College, Deoria, U.P., to evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-week integrated PR program in 100 patients with COPD and a history of treated PTB. Outcome measures included improvements in exercise capacity assessed by the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), pulmonary function tests (PFTs), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) evaluated by St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and COPD Assessment Test (CAT), and the frequency of exacerbations. The study found significant improvements in exercise tolerance, lung function, and HRQoL scores post-rehabilitation, along with a marked reduction in exacerbation frequency. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating PR programs as an integral component of standard care for COPD and PTB patients, particularly in settings where these conditions are highly prevalent.