Entrenamiento respiratorio en pacientes ingresados en el servicio de neumologĺa

Introduction: A patient with respiratory pathology will develop a low level of physical activity, even in stable stages. In acute stages and during hospital admission the deficiency of physical activity increases significantly, having a negative impact on the general wellbeing of the patient. Objective: To describe the application and implementation of a respiratory training program adapted to different in-patients profiles with pulmonary pathology, on a ward located in Pneumology Service and created with the intention of speeding up the patient's recovery process and therefore their integration into their normal every day routine. Patients and Methods: Patients form the Pneumology Service were included and were treated by the Rehabilitation Section and the Physiotherapy Unit, between January 5_th of 2010 and May 31_st of 2011, with the new protocol which incorporates a "Respiratory Training Room" in the Pneumology Service. There were classified in three levels according to the Muscular balance of the quadriceps femoris, applying a training program that was adapted to each individual patient and group, which includes chest physiotherapy and kinesiotherapy. A descriptive analysis was carried out for the data obtained with respect to the sample and the treatment of all patients. Results: We treated 481 patients admitted to the Pneumology Service of La Princesa University Hospital in Madrid. The average age was between 69.85 (range, 15-96), 289 men and 192 women, the biggest percentage of patients being between 80 and 89 years old at 30%, 75% would be between 60 and 89 and 80% would be between 60 and 96 years old. The main diagnoses of patients were: An escalation of EPOC 54%, pneumonia, 12%, cystic fibrosis, 8%.73% of the patients presented a deficit of muscle tone. The 100% of patients underwent chest physiotherapy and somewhat more than 78% underwent kinesitherapy. Conclusions: An early, simple program of chest training which includes chest therapy and kinesitherapy is applicable to a vast number of patients who have been admitted to the Neumology Service, the majority being very elderly men, suffering from EPOC, two thirds of which present lack of muscle tone and strength. The program achieves maintaining muscular balance of the patients during hospitalization, without worse their muscle activity. Also it achieves learning of physiotherapy techniques and a change of attitude regarding physical activity.