Pulmonary rehabilitation centre Spain – Medifit is preparing for lung patients affected by the coronavirus. This is because part of the corona patients suffer permanent lung damage (fibrosis) and Post intensive care syndrome (PICS) due to a long hospital stay. We have developed an 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme for post-corona virus symptoms with our multi-disciplinary team.
Corona virus pneumonia
The corona virus has caused pneumonia in many people. In pneumonia, the small branches of the lungs and the alveoli deep inside the lungs become inflamed.
The difference between pneumonia caused by the coronavirus and normal pneumonia is that normal pneumonia is easy to treat with antibiotics. Pneumonia caused by the coronavirus sometimes causes a lot of damage because there is no medicine for it yet.
Many people suffer a lung attack with a lot of coughing and mucus build-up, resulting in shortness of breath. This can sometimes be so severe that one gets a shortage of oxygen and has to go to hospital for oxygen. In the most severe cases, the lungs have so much difficulty functioning that people go into intensive care for artificial respiration. People admitted to ICU usually stay for 3 to 4 weeks.
This severe inflammation can cause scar tissue to form in the lungs. This will mean that breathing will be more difficult and the lung volume will be reduced. Also, being confined to bed for several weeks rapidly reduces physical fitness. The heart/lung function, the strength and the mobility will strongly decrease.
Following coronavirus – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSS)
.
In addition, the psychological trauma must not be underestimated. After a stay in the ICU, people often suffer from flashbacks, anxiety, depression and cognitive problems. This can sometimes be so severe that it develops into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSS). A long stay in intensive care results in serious physical disorders and limitations such as muscle weakness, reduced stamina, pain and stiffness in the joints.
Therefore, a multidisciplinary pulmonary rehabilitation programme is necessary to help this patient group improve their quality of life. The rehabilitation process consists of physiotherapy, ergotherapy, respiratory therapy, relaxation therapy, dietetics, cognitive therapy and psychotherapy. A lot of attention is also paid to exercise therapy in the rehabilitation room and in the swimming pool. Everything is aimed at making the patient physically and psychologically stronger again. The treatment team consists of a Dutch lung specialist, rehabilitation doctor, general practitioner, cardiologist, physiotherapists specialised in lung rehabilitation, occupational therapists, exercise teacher, dietician, psychologists and psychotherapists.
Lung rehabilitation treatment
A pulmonary rehabilitation programme for patients suffering from COLD (Corona Obstructive Lung Disease), possibly in combination with a Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), lasts 8 weeks. The individual interpretation of the rehabilitation programme is determined by a cooperation between you and our Dutch lung specialist, rehabilitation specialist and the treatment team. At the intake, in addition to the interviews, a number of tests will be taken, such as: a spirometry test, 6-Minute Walk Test, Stand up and Go test, ECG, X-rays, etc. Every week there is an evaluation consultation with the lung specialist, head of therapy and personal assistant after which the treatment team discusses and evaluates the progress made towards the treatment goals. The programme is constantly adapted to the personal situation of each patient.
Years of experience
Lung rehabilitation centre Spain – Medifit has many years of experience in treating lung patients. Especially we have a lot of experience in treating COPD patients, which is not the same as COLD. However, there are many similarities with the treatment method. Part of the pulmonary rehabilitation programme of COLD corresponds to the rehabilitation programme of COPD. One of the reasons why the COPD programme is so successful in Spain has to do with the much cleaner Mediterranean sea air than the air in the rest of Europe. With obstructive lung diseases such as COLD and COPD, this has a positive effect. When a lung patient arrives, he or she notices this immediately by being able to breathe easier. This in turn has a positive effect on the rehabilitation process to follow.
