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New crown pneumonia | More than 40 recovered patients in Kowloon Hospital receive physical therapy and three adults return to their pre-ill state

2021-03-22T00:16:36.813Z


Hong Kong has been fighting the epidemic for more than a year, and the number of confirmed cases so far has exceeded 10,000. Among them, there are many elderly and chronically ill patients with serious illnesses, and their mobility is still weak after recovery. Queen Elizabeth Hospital and United Hospital referred more than 40 rehabilitation


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Written by: Li Enci

2021-03-22 08:00

Last update date: 2021-03-22 08:00

Hong Kong has been fighting the epidemic for more than a year, and the number of confirmed cases so far has exceeded 10,000. Among them, there are many elderly and chronically ill patients with serious illnesses, and their mobility is still weak after recovery.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital and United Hospital referred more than 40 recovered patients to Kowloon Hospital for rehabilitation treatment.

Xu Yingru, a senior physiotherapist at the Kowloon Hospital, said, "He lost his ability to take care of himself, and he couldn't even push the door. Some patients could not even turn around on a bed." So far, 95% of patients have recovered and been discharged, and 70% of patients have been discharged from the hospital. The mobility of the patient has improved significantly, and the mobility of 30% of the patients has been restored to before the illness.

Physiotherapy aims to improve the breathing and muscle abilities of the survivors. The types include breathing exercises, physical training, and phlegm shooting.

Before the patients are discharged from the hospital, the physical therapist will design a set of home exercises for them, and adjust the frequency and intensity of the exercises according to their physical conditions.

Xu Yingru (right), a senior physiotherapist at the Kowloon Hospital, said that the hospital accepts more than 40 patients aged 60 to 96, and 98% of them need to receive physiotherapy.

On the left is Ms. Chen, who has recovered from COVID-19.

(Photo by Li Zetong)

Beginning in July last year, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and United Hospital referral patients who are weak or have severe sequelae to the Kowloon Hospital for treatment and rehabilitation.

Xu Yingru, a senior physiotherapist at the Kowloon Hospital, said that the hospital accepts more than 40 newly recovered patients, aged between 60 and 96, and 98% of them need to receive physiotherapy.

Xu said that many severely ill patients have pulmonary fibrosis, resulting in dyspnea, wheezing and shortness of breath. In addition, the patients have been bedridden for a long time during the hospitalization, which has caused muscle atrophy. Some patients even turned around in a hospital bed and were unable to turn around."

Recovery of mobility is not equivalent to complete recovery of lung function

So far, 95% of the patients have recovered and been discharged. Two-thirds of the patients were discharged after less than one month of treatment in the Kowloon Hospital; 70% of the patients' mobility has improved significantly when discharged, and 30% of the patients' mobility has been restored to before the illness .

Xu Yingru explained that returning to normal activity does not mean complete recovery of lung function. On the contrary, patients can exercise breathing and muscles through physical therapy to supplement lung function.

She said that most patients will not focus on the lung function index, but on whether they can perform individual actions, such as going up stairs.

Chen Huayin, a first-class physical therapist at the Kowloon Hospital, said that the three types of exercise help the ex-patients improve their breathing.

(Photo by Li Zetong)

Three types of exercise can help the rehabilitated to improve breathing

Chen Huayin, a first-level physiotherapist at Kowloon Hospital, said that many recovered patients have low blood oxygen levels, phlegm accumulation, shortness of breath and decreased muscle strength. The three types of exercise help the recovered people improve their breathing.

The first is breathing exercise. Patients need to make good use of chest and lung expansion breathing and diaphragm breathing to relieve shortness of breath and improve breathing efficiency.

The patient can use the "inhalation wave boy" tool to cooperate, when the wave boy is suspended in the air when he inhales forcefully into the air port and holds the breath.

The second is coordinated breathing. The patient inhales during preparatory movements, exhales when exerting force, and then maintains regular breathing, which helps to improve daily life pushing and pulling objects, lifting heavy objects, and changing postures.

The third is expectoration. The physiotherapist will assist the patient to expel the sputum and saliva by tapping the sputum and vibrating the chest wall.

In addition, physiotherapists will also tailor simple limb exercises and walking exercises to help them train their muscles and balance.

When the patient's condition gradually improves, training can be added to muscle strength exercises and aerobic exercises, such as cycling, to improve physical fitness.

The physiotherapist will hand out gadgets to the patient and go home to practice breathing.

The picture on the right shows the "wave absorber" tool.

(Photo by Li Zetong)

Chen Huayin also said that before the patient is discharged from the hospital, a physical therapist will design a set of home exercises for him, and adjust the frequency and intensity of the exercise according to his physical condition. The types include head and neck, lower limb stretching, muscle exercises, etc.

Patients can open the HAGo mobile application at home and follow the video to exercise.

Some patients will also go to the physical therapy department of the hospital to continue regular training, once every to several weeks.

71-year-old Ms. Chen usually takes blood pressure medication and has no other long-term illnesses. She contracted new coronary pneumonia in mid-July last year and stayed in the isolation ward of Queen Elizabeth Hospital for more than a month.

She was in a serious condition and needed to intubate her throat and smell oxygen at one time.

Losing her strength, she was unable to eat, fell out of bed and went to the toilet, and needed the support of two doctors and nurses to barely stand.

Ms. Chen recalled: "I was so unhappy when I was admitted to the hospital at the beginning, and I was afraid that I would not return, so I shouted every day in the hospital." Therefore, she had to take psychiatric drugs.

She was transferred to the Kowloon Hospital for rehabilitation in late August. The physiotherapist took her phlegm every day and took her to walk and train her muscles. Her physical condition improved and she was formally discharged from the hospital at the end of September.

So far, Ms. Chen still returns to the Kowloon Hospital for physical therapy every week, and she can walk on a bicycle for ten minutes at home on weekdays.

Xu Yingru stated that her mobility has recovered to 80% to 90% of the level before the illness. Ms. Chen said to herself, "I am happy to return to the sun at home!"

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Source: hk1

All news articles on 2021-03-22

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