Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT06606184

Benefits of Pulmonary Rehabilitation to Patients Post Liver Transplant

The goal of this clinical trial was to access the benefits of a 12-week home-based pulmonary rehabilitation regimen on pulmonary function recovery in post-liver transplant patients. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does pulmonary rehabilitation facilitate pulmonary muscle strength recovery? Does the intervention improve pulmonary function and reduce dyspnea sensation?

Participants performed:

Inspiratory muscle training twice a day for 12 weeks after discharged from the hospital Upper limb resistive training Lower limb exercise

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Liver Transplant Surgery Dyspnea Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Respiration Disorders Respiratory Tract Diseases Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory

Age range

20 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

About this study

Patients undergoing liver transplantation often face significant challenges related to pulmonary rehabilitation. Although postoperative rehabilitation has been extensively studied, the specific role of pulmonary rehabilitation programs has received limited attention. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a home-based pulmonary rehabilitation program in improving respiratory function recovery among post-liver transplant patients. The training group participated in a 12-week pulmonary rehabilitation program post-discharge, emphasizing respiratory muscle and exercise training, while the control group received standard care, which included traditional rehabilitation.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 20 years or older
  • Scheduled to undergo living donor liver transplantation
  • Stable vital signs
  • Normal cognitive function
  • Able to perform activities independently using their own strength and coordination
  • Willing and able to participate in 12 weeks of rehabilitation training

Exclusion criteria

  • Severe physical illness during the operation
  • Acute bleeding
  • Unstable vital signs
  • Hepatic encephalopathy, or neurological conditions such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, or cognitive dysfunction
  • Limited mobility (e.g., unable to stand, lift upper limbs, or bedridden)
  • Inability to comply with 12 weeks of pulmonary rehabilitation post-discharge
  • Unstable vital signs
  • Hepatoencephalopathy, such as cardiovascular accident, Parkinson disease, cognitive dysfunction
  • Those with limited mobility (unable to stand, unable to lift upper limbs, or bedridden)
  • Those who are unable to cooperate with the 12 weeks of pulmonary rehabilitation exercises after discharge.

Treatment and study plan

inspiratory muscle training

Procedure

Participants underwent a 12-week program consisting of inspiratory muscle training twice daily, incentive spirometry three times daily, and upper limb exercises along with marching in place for 30 minutes.

Routine Care

Procedure

Participants received routine care, which included encouragement to use incentive spirometry three times daily.

Primary outcomes

  1. Respiratory Muscle Stregnth Test

    Time frame: Throughout the study completion, approximately 3 month

    Respiratory muscle strength was determined by Maximum Inspiratory Pressure (MIP) using a pressure monometer.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Oxygenation status

    Time frame: Participants underwent maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressure measurements at four time points: upon admission, before discharge from the intensive care unit, before discharge from the hospital, and at the end of the 12-week enrollment period.

    Oxygen saturation was monitored using a pulse oximeter.

  2. Dyspnea Severity Assessment

    Time frame: Throughout the study completion, approximately 3 month

    Dyspnea severity was assessed by a rating of perceived exertion, using the Borg Scale which ranged from 0 (no respiratory difficulty) to 10 (extreme respiratory difficulty), with higher scores indicating more severe breathing difficulty.

  3. Forced Vital Capacity

    Time frame: Throughout the study completion, approximately 3 month

    The forced vital capacity was obtained, using spirometry, by having the patient take a deep breath and then exhale forcefully. The test results were based on three reproducible measurements.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Chang Gung University

Other

Collaborators

  • Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
  • Chang Gung University of Science and Technology

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Sep 20, 2024
Registry last updated
Sep 20, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.