title: Pulmonary rehabilitation programs for patients with COPD.
abstract: Pulmonary rehabilitation programs are aimed at providing benefits to COPD patients, in various aspects. Our objective was to review the literature on COPD patient rehabilitation. This systematic review involved articles written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese; published between 2005 and 2009; and indexed in national and international databases. Articles were classified in accordance with the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria for the determination of the level of scientific evidence (grade of recommendation A, B, or C). The outcome measures were exercise, quality of life, symptoms, exacerbations, mortality, and pulmonary function. Treatments were classified as standard rehabilitation, partial rehabilitation, strength exercises, and resistance exercises. Of the 40 articles selected, 4, 18, and 18 were classified as grades A, B, and C, respectively. Of the 181 analyses made in these articles, 61, 50, 23, 23, 20, and 4, respectively, were related to the outcome measures quality of life, exercise, symptoms, exacerbations, pulmonary function, and mortality. The standard rehabilitation programs showed positive effects on all of the outcomes evaluated, except for mortality (because of the small number of analyses). However, we found no differences among the various rehabilitation programs regarding their effects on the outcomes studied. Rehabilitation programs can be considered important tools for the treatment of COPD. Therefore, health administrators should implement public policies including such programs in the routine of health care facilities.
authors: Graduate Program in Epidemiology, Department of Social Medicine, Federal University of Pelotas School of Medicine, Pelotas, Brazil. fcwehrmeister@yahoo.com.br
authors: Fernando César
authors: FC
authors: Wehrmeister
authors: Marli
authors: M
authors: Knorst
authors: José Roberto
authors: JR
authors: Jardim
authors: Elaine Cardozo
authors: EC
authors: Macedo
authors: Ricardo Bica
authors: RB
authors: Noal
authors: Jeovany
authors: J
authors: Martínez-Mesa
authors: David Alejandro
authors: DA
authors: González
authors: Samuel Carvalho
authors: SC
authors: Dumith
authors: Maria de Fátima
authors: Mde F
authors: Maia
authors: Pedro Curi
authors: PC
authors: Hallal
authors: Ana Maria Baptista
authors: AM
authors: Menezes
mesh_terms: D015444:Exercise; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests