Disclosures: Daniel A. Goodman, MD, MS: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest

Objective: To describe the inpatient rehabilitation (IPR) course of patients who underwent bilateral lung transplant due to severe COVID-19 pulmonary disease.

Design: Retrospective chart review

Setting: Free-standing, academic, urban inpatient rehabilitation hospital

Participants: Seventeen patients aged 28-67 years old (mean 53.9 ± 10.7) who developed COVID-19 respiratory failure and underwent bilateral lung transplant.

Interventions: Patients participated in a comprehensive IPR program including physical, occupational, and speech therapy tailored to the unique functional needs of each individual.

Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcome measures of functional improvements, include mobility and self-care GG scores, as defined as quality measures by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Other functional measures included 6 minute walk test, Berg balance scale, and Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA). Wilcoxon Signed Rank Sum Test was used to evaluate statistical significance between admission and discharge scores.

Results: Fourteen patients completed inpatient rehabilitation. Self-care (GG0130) mean score improved from 20.9 to 36.1. Mobility (GG0170) mean score improved from 30.7 to 70.7. Mean 6-minute walk distance improved from 174.1 to 455.1 feet. Mean Berg balance scores improved from 18.6/56 to 36.3/56. MASA scores improved from 171.3 to 182.3. All scores changes were statistically significant with p value < 0.01. 76% of patients discharged home.

Conclusions: This retrospective review demonstrates that this new and unique patient population can successfully participate in a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program and achieve functional improvements despite medical complications. Advances in medical technology have increased the number of people with severe respiratory failure who are eligible for lung transplant and inpatient rehabilitation facilities have adapted to the changing COVID-19 medical landscape. It is important for rehabilitation providers to recognize opportunities to treat new patient populations and to be able to adjust treatment protocols accordingly.

Level of Evidence: Level IV

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PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/functional-improvements-of-patients-admitted-to-an-inpatient-rehabilitation-facility-after-bilateral-lung-transplant-due-to-severe-covid-19-pulmonary-disease/