Effects of Chest Physiotherapy on Quality of Life in COVID-19 Patients

Background: COVID-19 has affected the population badly in the respiratory system. To overcome this, chest physiotherapy has been proven to be an effective treatment option for these patients. Objective: To determine the effects of chest physiotherapy on the quality of life in COVID-19 patients. Methodology: Data was collected from COVID-19 patients in the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital, Central Park Teaching Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, and Doctor Hospital. This cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 106 COVID-19 patients who had undergone chest physiotherapy sessions during their hospital stay. The data was collected within 6 months, i.e., May 2022 to December 2022. The sample size was selected using a non-probability, convenience sampling technique. All the patients who met the inclusion criteria, like those aged between 35 to 65 years, both males and females, patients infected with COVID, patients who took chest physiotherapy sessions, and hospitalized patients. A sample size of 106 was calculated with a 95% confidence level by using Epitool. For the collection of the data, a WHO-QoL Questionnaire and a researcher-designed questionnaire were used, which consisted of demographic information and questions regarding length of hospital stay, COVID symptoms experienced, and chest physiotherapy. Written consent was taken from the participants, and the quantitative variables were presented as mean and standard deviation, range, and histogram. Categorical variables were presented as frequencies, percentages, cross-tabulation, bar chart, and pie chart. Results: During their hospital stay, 60 (60.4%) of the patients received chest physical therapy. After receiving chest physiotherapy, 28.3% of the patients reported an improvement in their quality of life. 35 (33%) patients were female, while 71 (67%) of the total participants were male. Conclusion: During their time in the hospital, 60.4 percent of COVID patients received chest physical therapy. About 28.3% of the patients reported a higher and enhanced quality of life as a result of the chest physiotherapy procedures following the procedure during their hospital stay and after recovering from COVID-19. While chest physiotherapy techniques increased 30.5% of the recovered patients’ capacity to do daily activities.