Efectos de un Programa de Rehabilitación Pulmonar con énfasis en el entrenamiento de la musculatura respiratoria y actividades recreativas en un grupo de pacientes con EPOC

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: COPD is characterized by a chronic limitation to airflow that alters the quality of life of the people suffering this illness. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the effects that has a pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP) designed in primary care using limited resources in a group of COPD patients. Method: Prospective study of 13 patients (5 men, 8 women), age: 74.38 ± 10.12 ( X ¯ ± SD) years-old with COPD, GOLD stage I, II and III, which were submitted for 3 months to a pulmonary rehabilitation program with emphasis on the training of the respiratory muscles and recreational activities like inflating balloons. The variables measured pre and post training were: lung function, six-minute walk test (6MWT), dyspnea using the modified scale from Medical Research Council (mMRC), maximal inspiratory pressure (PIMax) at functional residual capacity (FRC), PIMax at residual volume (RV), time of fatigue resistance of the inspiratory and expiratory muscles (TFRIM and TFREM respectively), quality of life through the COPD assessment Test (CAT) and the circumference of the inflated balloons (CIB) for each patient. Results: Significant changes (p < 0.05) were found in: dyspnea, distance of 6MWT, PIMax at FRC, PIMax at RV, CAT, TFRIM, TFREM and CIB. Conclusions: Our pulmonary rehabilitation program improved the dyspnea, exercise capacity, quality of life and the strength and endurance of the respiratory muscles which was reflected by a greater circumference of the inflated balloons by each patient post-training. Therefore we affirm that it is possible to design a pulmonary rehabilitation program in primary care using limited resources and getting excellent results.