Methods. Patients admitted with AECOPD, following clinical stabilisation in the respiratroy intensive care unit (RICU), were
alternately assigned to intervention (n=15); and control groups (n=15), respectively. Baseline assessment included spirometry,
six-minute walk test (6MWT), symptom limited cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), health-related quality of life (HRQoL)
assessment by generic questionnaire medical outcomes study short form (S-F 36) questionnaire and dyspnoea evaluation by
Borg score. The intervention group patients were treated with usual care plus PR exercises in the form of 20 minutes each of
walking, bicycle ergometry and resistance exercises, thrice-weekly for three weeks. The control group patients were treated
with only the usual care. After discharge from hospital the treatment regimens were continued on alternate days on outpatient
basis, for a total of three weeks. The assessment was repeated in both the groups after three weeks.