OBJECTIVES: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been shown to benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation programmes. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effects of a short-term pulmonary rehabilitation programme (PRP) on exercise capacity, pulmonary function and quality of life in patients with COPD. METHODS: A pre-test and post-test experimental design was conducted on patients from the outpatient physical therapy department. Thirty stable COPD patients with mild to severe airflow obstruction (mean age 54.1 +/- 5.22, FEV1 between 0.80 and 0.30 predicted; FEV1/FVC < 0.70) were recruited for a 6-week comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation programme (PRP) that included education and exercise training. Exclusion criteria included the following: cardiovascular conditions likely to be aggravated by exercise, locomotor impairment, haemoptysis, cognitive impairment, severe pulmonary hypertension, and metastatic cancer. The patients were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. RESULTS: Six-minute walk distance (6MWD), pulmonary function (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC), and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) scores were measured at baseline, at the end of the 3rd week and at the end of the 6th week. The results showed significant improvements in 6MWD and SGRQ (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A 6-week outpatient-based PRP significantly improves exercise capacity and quality of life, irrespective of the degree of airflow obstruction.

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