Effectiveness of Early Combined Rehabilitation in COVID-19 Related ARDS Patients After the Successfull Application of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Two Case Reports

Abstract

Many cardiac, pulmonary, and psychiatric complications occur due to long-term bed rest, infection, and critical illness neuropathy/myopathy in extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) applied coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) inpatients in intensive care units. Physiotherapy plays an important role in restoring physical functions in the subacute phase following ECMO decannulation. After being discharged, and with combined rehabilitation, these patients experience a faster recovery and their quality of life increases. In this article, the effects of the combined physiotherapy program, which was applied to two patients with COVID-19 who received ECMO treatment and were discharged from the intensive care unit, is discussed. Early application of the combined rehabilitation program after discharge resulted in a positive outcome.

Keywords

• covid-19
• early rehabilitation
• extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation