ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility and effect of early pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in patients after acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a district hospital. MethodsA single-centre prospective study was conducted. The COPD patients after an episode of acute exacerbation and referred to the outpatient department were recruited from January 2013 to December 2014. They were randomized to a group with PR (PR group) and a group without PR (wPR group). The following data were recorded and evaluated including age, gender, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and FEV1 as a percentage of the predicted value (FEV1% pred).The baseline and the post-PR medical research council scale (MRC), St. George's respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ), and six-minute walk distance (6MWD) were also compared. ResultsA total of 91 cases were enrolled with 46 cases in the PR group and 45 cases in the wPR group. The age, gender, the severity of COPD were similar in two groups (P > 0.05). The MRC score and SGRQ score of the PR group were significantly improved 3 months later compare with the baseline (P < 0.05), and did not changed significantly in the wPR group (P > 0.05). There were 26 patients whose SGRQ scores decreased > 4 in the PR group (26/46, 56.5%), which was significantly higher than the wPR group (7/45, 15.6%) (P < 0.05). The 6MWD of the PR group was significantly increased 3 months later compare with the baseline (P < 0.05), and did not changed significantly in the wPR group (P > 0.05). There were 22 patients whose 6MWD increased > 54 meters in the PR group (22/46, 47.8%), which was significantly higher than the wPR group (9/45, 20.0%) (P < 0.05). ConclusionsIt is feasible and safety to perform early PR in patients after acute exacerbation of COPD in the district hospital. The early PR can improve the MRC score, SGQR score, and 6MWD in COPD patients.