Feasibility and efficacy of a population-based pulmonary rehabilitation for post-tuberculosis lung disease in Bangladesh

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with PTLD in Bangladesh with a population-based approach. METHODS: Prospective population-based study in Bangladesh. All patients achieving treatment success were screened with a questionnaire to identify symptoms associated with PTLD. If the screening was positive, the patient underwent further assessments, like clinical examination, spirometry, and 6-Minutes Walking Test (6MWT). Based on the screening results, patients with moderate PTLD were considered eligible for a 6-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme. RESULTS: ) increased from 1.28 ± 0.47 L to 1.36 ± 0.51 L (P < 0.0001), forced vital capacity (FVC) increased from 2.00 ± 0.59 L to 2.10 ± 0.64 L (P < 0.0001), and the distance walked in 6MWT increased from 402.8 ± 109.1 m to 456.7 ± 108.6 m (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Pulmonary rehabilitation for PTLD is feasible and effective in a limited-resource setting such as Bangladesh. We suggest that the improvement of lung function in PTLD patients undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation should be assessed and included as an expected outcome.