PTOtherPhysical therapy2023

Upper Extremity Exercise Capacity and Activities of Daily Living in Individuals With Bronchiectasis Versus Healthy Controls.

Aslihan Cakmak, Elif Kocaaga, Hazal Sonbahar-Ulu and 5 others

PMID 37086209

WHAT IT FOUND

People with bronchiectasis moved fewer rings in a six-minute pegboard arm test and took longer on a daily-living task than healthy controls.

Their arm fatigue rose more, while oxygen saturation did not drop during the arm test.

Key findings

01People with bronchiectasis had a significantly lower six-minute pegboard and ring test score than healthy controls (P < .001).

02People with bronchiectasis took significantly longer to complete the Glittre activities-of-daily-living test than controls (P < .001), while energy expenditure was similar (P = .774).

03Among people with bronchiectasis, a lower six-minute pegboard score was associated with a longer Glittre test duration (r = -0.694, P < .001).

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs

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What it does not show

The study compared groups at one time point, so it cannot show that bronchiectasis caused the lower test performance or that arm training would improve function. Most people with bronchiectasis had mild lung function impairment, so the findings may not apply to more severe disease. Upper and lower extremity muscle strength and physical activity level were not measured, so the reasons for the poorer test performance remain unclear. The study included 24 people in each group and was conducted at a university unit.

The easy way to misread this

Do not read this as evidence that arm exercise training improves daily living in bronchiectasis. The study compared test performance in people with bronchiectasis and healthy controls at one time point and did not test training.

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