Schonau Am Konigssee

This research aims to study people with chronic lung disease who experience low oxygen levels, called hypoxaemia. It evaluates whether automatically adjusting oxygen flow during exercise helps reduce the feeling of breathlessness compared to using a fixed oxygen flow. The study is designed as a randomized, double-blind, controlled cross-over trial to compare these two oxygen delivery methods during endurance exercise training. Participants first undergo a test to measure their peak cycling work rate. They then complete two separate sets of five endurance training sessions: one with a constant prescribed oxygen flow rate and the other with an automatically adjusted oxygen flow to keep oxygen saturation between 90% and 94%. The order of these sessions is randomized to fairly compare the effects of each oxygen delivery method. During the study, researchers assess participants' perception of breathlessness from day 1 to day 10 across the exercise sessions. Participants receive oxygen therapy while exercising, and their oxygen saturation and symptoms are monitored. The study takes place during an inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program, and participants provide informed consent before joining. The total involvement includes multiple exercise sessions with different oxygen delivery methods to measure effects on breathlessness.

Researchers are evaluating the effects of cold water hydrotherapy as an addition to standard rehabilitation in patients recovering from Post-COVID Syndrome. This condition often causes persistent fatigue, autonomic nervous system problems, blood flow disturbances, and low-level inflammation, which can delay recovery. The study aims to assess how adding cold water hydrotherapy influences patients' quality of life compared to rehabilitation alone. The study compares two groups: one receiving standard inpatient rehabilitation plus cold water hydrotherapy and the other receiving only the standard rehabilitation program. The hydrotherapy involves cold water applications lasting 5 to 10 minutes, performed twice daily during a 3-week inpatient rehabilitation and once daily during a 6-month follow-up. The standard rehabilitation includes various therapies but without hydrotherapy. Participants will undergo assessments including demographic data, symptom reporting, smoking history, time since COVID infection, vaccination status, employment status, comorbidities, and severity of initial COVID illness. Lung function, autonomic function, and vascular status will be tested. Researchers will measure health-related quality of life using the Short Form-12 Health Survey from baseline to the end of rehabilitation. The study also monitors work ability, sick leave, and symptom changes over time.