RESUMEN

El grado de afección pulmonar en los pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar no guarda relación con la disminución en la capacidad para realizar sus actividades. Con frecuencia el impacto de la terapéutica en la EPOC sobre el desempeño del paciente sólo se observa al agregar un programa de rehabilitación pulmonar a su tratamiento. La mejoría en la tolerancia al ejercicio es medible con pruebas incrementales o de carga constante, los cuales muestran mejoría significativa después de llevar a cabo esta terapia. La mejoría es atribuible a factores como: mayor eficiencia mecánica, aumento en la fuerza muscular y capacidad oxidativa, adaptaciones en el patrón respiratorio y disminución en la hiperinflación dinámica. El diseño de programas de ejercicio en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) contempla tres a cinco sesiones por semana con intensidad de 40 a 80% de la reserva del consumo de oxígeno por más de 20 minutos, siendo el tópico de mayor controversia la duración en semanas que el programa debe tener. La recomendación actual propone un mínimo de ocho semanas.

PALABRAS CLAVE

Rehabilitación pulmonar, EPOC, pruebas incrementales, pruebas de trabajo constante, tolerancia al ejercicio.

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