Pre‐transplant short physical performance battery: Response to pre‐habilitation and relationship to pre‐ and early post–lung‐transplant outcomes

Purpose To evaluate whether the short physical performance battery (SPPB) pre‐lung transplant (LTx) was responsive to pre‐habilitation and predicted pre‐ and early post‐transplant outcomes. Methods A retrospective study of LTx candidates accepted for transplant between 2016 and 2017. SPPB was categorized as frail/pre‐frail (≤9/12) and non‐frail (≥10/12). Results 150 patients had LTx assessment SPPB data (53% male, 61 [52‐67] years, 59% had interstitial lung disease (ILD), 26% frail/pre‐frail). 131 (87%) underwent transplant by December 31, 2018. Adjusting for age, sex, diagnosis and Canadian transplant listing urgency, and frailty/pre‐frailty at LTx assessment was associated with a lower 6MWD pre‐transplant [−89 meters 95%CI (−125 to −53), P