Last update:
   24-May-2026
 

Arch Hellen Med, 43(Supplement 1), 2026, 31-37

ORIGINAL PAPER

Does acute respiratory rehabilitation impact hospitalization duration in mild to moderate COVID-19 pneumonia patients?

S. Nejkov,1 B. Kraljević,2 V. Bokan-Mirković1,2
1Clinical Center of Montenegro, Center for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Podgorica,
2Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro

OBJECTIVE Τo assess whether acute respiratory rehabilitation in patients with pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 reduces the length of hospitalization.

METHOD A total of 57 patients (34 men, 23 women) participated in a respiratory rehabilitation program. The monitored parameters included symptom duration before hospitalization, the date of the SARS-CoV-2 test, hospitalization date, rehabilitation initiation date, length of hospitalization, rehabilitation duration, oxygen therapy or use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, modified Borg dyspnea scale, and fatigue levels before and after rehabilitation.

RESULTS Symptoms before hospitalization lasted from 2 to 21 days (mean: 6.1±3.4 days). Rehabilitation was initiated, on average, 7.74±4.76 days after hospitalization. Rehabilitation duration ranged from 1 to 10 days (mean: 4.16±2.1 days, median: 4 days). Total hospitalization length varied from 4 to 20 days. Statistical analysis revealed that longer symptom duration before hospitalization was significantly associated with a longer hospital stay and delayed rehabilitation initiation but did not correlate with the total rehabilitation duration. Half of the patients, 28 (49.12%), experienced symptoms for up to one week prior to hospitalization and initiated rehabilitation within the first week of their hospital stay.

CONCLUSIONS The study did not provide clear evidence that acute respiratory rehabilitation directly reduces the length of hospitalization in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. Although delayed rehabilitation initiation was linked to longer hospitalization, no direct impact on the total length of hospitalization was found. Further studies are needed to definitively determine the relationship between respiratory rehabilitation and hospitalization outcomes in COVID-19 patients. This study underscores the complexity of recovery from COVID-19 pneumonia and the need for more focused research in the field of respiratory rehabilitation for these patients.

Key words: COVID-19, Hospitalization length, Pneumonia, Respiratory rehabilitation.

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