RT-29 · Analysis & Monitoring

Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Education & Smoking Cessation

Exercise prescription, breathing retraining, adherence teaching, and the cessation counseling the exam expects you to deliver.

~14 min read3 concept sections·2 questions with rationale

What you'll be able to do

  • Screen candidates and set safe exercise limits
  • Teach breathing retraining and energy conservation
  • Verify inhaler and device technique
  • Deliver structured smoking cessation counseling
Concept breakdown
01

Building the program

Rehabilitation improves dyspnea, exercise tolerance, and quality of life even when spirometry does not change.

  • Candidates: symptomatic COPD, interstitial disease, bronchiectasis, pre- and post-transplant, and post-COVID deconditioning. Unstable angina and uncontrolled arrhythmia are exclusions until treated.
  • Baseline testing: 6-minute walk distance, spirometry, symptom scores, and oxygen assessment during exertion.
  • Prescription: 20–30 minutes of endurance training, 3 sessions a week for 6–12 weeks, plus strength and upper extremity work.
  • Titrate oxygen to keep exertional SpO2 at or above 88–90%; desaturation during the walk test is what sets the ambulatory prescription.
  • Stop exercise for chest pain, SpO2 below 85%, dizziness, arrhythmia, or a Borg dyspnea score at the patient's ceiling.
At the bedside

The 6-minute walk change that matters clinically is roughly 30 meters — smaller gains are noise.

Practice quiz

Check yourself before you read the rationale.

Question 1 of 1

During a 6-minute walk test a COPD patient's SpO2 falls from 94% to 84% at 3 minutes. The therapist should:

Practice questions

Answer first, then read why the distractors fail.

Question 1

During a 6-minute walk test a COPD patient's SpO2 falls from 94% to 84% at 3 minutes. The therapist should:

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2 more concept sections, 1 more question, and the exam-day playbook for this module.

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