Impact of Surgical Mask on Performance and Cardiorespiratory Responses to Submaximal Exercise in COVID-19 Patients Near Hospital Discharge: A Randomized Crossover Trial

Overview

Journal Clin Rehabil

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2022 Apr 27

PMID 35473371

Authors

William Poncin

Adrien Schalkwijk

Charlie Vander Straeten

Frederic Braem

Fabien Latiers

Gregory Reychler

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Wearing a surgical mask in hospitalized patients has become recommended during care, including rehabilitation, to mitigate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. However, the mask may increase dyspnoea and raise concerns in promoting rehabilitation activities in post-acute COVID-19 patients.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the surgical mask on dyspnoea, exercise performance and cardiorespiratory response during a 1-min sit-to-stand test in hospitalized COVID-19 patients close to discharge.

Methods: COVID-19 patients whose hospital discharge has been planned the following day performed in randomized order two sit-to-stand tests with or without a surgical mask. Outcome measures were recorded before, at the end, and after two minutes of recovery of each test. Dyspnoea (modified Borg scale), cardiorespiratory parameters and sit-to-stand repetitions were measured.

Results: Twenty-eight patients aged 52 ± 10 years were recruited. Compared to unmasked condition, dyspnoea was significantly higher with the mask before and at the end of the sit-to-stand test (mean difference[95%CI]: 1.0 [0.6, 1.4] and 1.7 [0.8, 2.6], respectively). The difference was not significant after the recovery period. The mask had no impact on cardiorespiratory parameters nor the number of sit-to-stand repetitions.

Conclusion: In post-acute COVID-19 patients near hospital discharge, the surgical mask increased dyspnoea at rest and during a submaximal exercise test but had no impact on cardiorespiratory response or exercise performance. Patients recovering from COVID-19 should be reassured that wearing a surgical facemask during physical or rehabilitation activities is safe. These data may also mitigate fears to refer these patients in rehabilitation centres where mask-wearing has become mandatory.

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