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Rehabilitation interventions improve functional outcomes in bronchiectasis patients, though implementation remains inconsistent across clinical settings.

Rehabilitation interventions improve functional outcomes in bronchiectasis patients, though implemen…
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Key Takeaway
Consider individualized, multimodal rehabilitation for bronchiectasis, noting inconsistent implementation and uncertainties regarding optimal prescription.

This mini review evaluates contemporary evidence regarding rehabilitation interventions for patients with bronchiectasis within the context of clinical practice and international guidelines. The population consists of patients with bronchiectasis, and the sample size is not reported as this is a narrative review rather than a primary study. The review compares rehabilitation interventions—including airway clearance, exercise training, physical activity promotion, digitally enabled care models, home-based strategies, and patient-managed approaches—against traditional paradigms and established practices.

Main results indicate that rehabilitation interventions are recommended to address functional impairment and improve clinical relevance. Airway clearance and exercise training remain foundational components. Increasing evidence supports individualized, multimodal rehabilitation approaches, including digitally enabled care models and tele-rehabilitation. However, the review notes that implementation in clinical practice remains inconsistent and access to comprehensive rehabilitation programs remains limited for many patients.

Safety and tolerability data were not reported in this review, as no specific adverse events, serious adverse events, discontinuations, or tolerability metrics were extracted from the underlying studies. Key limitations include persistent uncertainties regarding optimal prescription, implementation strategies, and long-term outcomes. The practice relevance is defined by European Respiratory Society guidance, which supports use based on defined patient profiles and evidence strength, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions despite current gaps in consistent delivery.

Study Details

Study typeGuideline
EvidenceLevel 5
PublishedApr 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Bronchiectasis is a chronic and heterogeneous respiratory disease characterized by irreversible airway dilation, recurrent infection, persistent inflammation, and progressive functional impairment. Pulmonary rehabilitation is consistently recommended in international guidelines as a core non-pharmacological intervention; however, its implementation in clinical practice remains inconsistent and access to comprehensive rehabilitation programmes remains limited despite strong guideline endorsement. Recent advances in disease conceptualization, particularly the treatable traits framework, together with growing evidence supporting exercise training, physical activity promotion, and digitally enabled care models, have expanded the scope and relevance of rehabilitation in bronchiectasis. This Mini Review synthesizes contemporary evidence on rehabilitation interventions, integrating established practices with emerging strategies, and critically discusses current controversies, research gaps, and future directions. While airway clearance and exercise training remain foundational, current European Respiratory Society guidance supports their use based on defined patient profiles and evidence strength, and increasing evidence supports individualized, multimodal rehabilitation approaches that incorporate physical activity promotion, adjunct interventions, home-based and tele-rehabilitation models, and patient-managed strategies. Persistent uncertainties regarding optimal prescription, implementation, and long-term outcomes underscore the need for patient-centered, phenotype-informed rehabilitation strategies. Broadening rehabilitation beyond traditional paradigms may enhance clinical relevance, improve functional outcomes, and better align care with the complex and evolving nature of bronchiectasis.
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