The Effects of an Intensive Rehabilitation Program on the Nutritional and Functional Status of Post-COVID-19 Pneumonia Patients

Most hospitalized COVID-19 pneumonia patients are older adults and/or have nutrition-related issues. Many are bedridden in intensive care units (ICU), a well-documented cause of malnutrition, muscle wasting, and functional impairment. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of an intensive rehabilitation program over the nutritional/functional status of patients recovering from COVID-19 pneumonia. Post-COVID-19 pneumonia patients underwent a 30-day intensive interdisciplinary rehabilitation program including a personalized nutritional intervention designed to achieve a minimum intake of 30 kcal/kg/day and 1 g protein/kg/day. The nutritional and functional status was assessed in each patient at three different moments. Each assessment included Body Mass Index (BMI), Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC), Mid Arm Muscle Circumference (MAMC), Tricipital Skinfold (TSF), Hand Grip Strength (HGS), and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA (R)). The study included 118 patients, with ages in the range 41-90 years old. BMI increased linearly over time (0.642 units, F-test = 26.458, p < 0.001). MUAC (0.322 units, F-test = 0.515, p = 0.474) and MAMC status (F-test = 1.089, p = 0.299) improved slightly, whereas TSF decreased (F-test = 1.885, p = 0.172), but all these arm anthropometry trends did not show significant variations, while HGS (4.131 units, F-test = 82.540, p < 0.001) and MNA (R) (1.483 units, F-test = 217.726, p < 0.001) reported a meaningful improvement. Post-COVID-19 pneumonia patients presented malnutrition and functional impairment. An interdisciplinary rehabilitation program, including personalized nutritional intervention, was effective for post-hospital COVID-19 pneumonia nutritional/functional rehabilitation.