NAECB NAECB Pulmonary Rehabilitation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which is the primary goal of pulmonary rehabilitation for asthma and COPD patients?
- Increase FEV1 to normal
- Improve functional capacity and quality of life (Correct answer)
- Eliminate the need for bronchodilators
- Reverse airway remodeling
Correct answer: Improve functional capacity and quality of life
Pulmonary rehabilitation aims to improve functional capacity and quality of life rather than alter the underlying lung pathology.
Question 2: What is the minimum recommended duration of a formal pulmonary rehabilitation program?
- 2 weeks
- 4 weeks
- 6–8 weeks (Correct answer)
- 6 months
Correct answer: 6–8 weeks
Most guidelines recommend at least 6–8 weeks of structured pulmonary rehabilitation to achieve meaningful clinical benefits.
Question 3: Which exercise training modality is considered the cornerstone of pulmonary rehabilitation?
- Resistance training only
- Flexibility exercises
- Aerobic endurance training (Correct answer)
- Inspiratory muscle training only
Correct answer: Aerobic endurance training
Aerobic endurance training is the foundation of pulmonary rehabilitation, improving cardiovascular efficiency and exercise tolerance.
Question 4: The 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) is used in pulmonary rehabilitation primarily to:
- Diagnose asthma severity
- Measure peak expiratory flow
- Assess functional exercise capacity (Correct answer)
- Determine inhaler technique
Correct answer: Assess functional exercise capacity
The 6MWT measures how far a patient can walk in 6 minutes, serving as a practical index of functional exercise capacity.
Question 5: Which outcome measure is most commonly used to assess dyspnea-related quality of life in pulmonary rehab?
- FVC percent predicted
- Borg Scale only
- St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) (Correct answer)
- Spirometry z-score
Correct answer: St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ)
The SGRQ is a validated health-related quality of life questionnaire specifically designed for patients with chronic airway disease.
Question 6: Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in pulmonary rehabilitation is MOST beneficial for patients who have:
- Normal inspiratory muscle strength
- Elevated DLCO
- Inspiratory muscle weakness (PImax < 60% predicted) (Correct answer)
- Hypocapnia at rest
Correct answer: Inspiratory muscle weakness (PImax < 60% predicted)
IMT provides the greatest benefit when baseline inspiratory muscle strength is reduced, as demonstrated by a PImax below 60% predicted.
NAECB NAECB Pulmonary Rehabilitation 1
Which is the primary goal of pulmonary rehabilitation for asthma and COPD patients?