Effect of Physiotherapy in Hospitalized COPD Patients

Effect of Different Physiotherapy Treatments in Hospitalized COPD Patients

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) impacts negatively on the balance and strength of patients. Several studies have shown that acute exacerbations (AEs) decrease, pulmonary function and survival of COPD patients, and there are a lot of physiotherapy interventions to improve it during the hospital stay.

The objective of the present study is to examine the effects of a physical therapy program on balance and strength in COPD patients hospitalized due to acute exacerbation.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is a progressive disease, characterized by lung function impairment with airway obstruction.

Patients with COPD suffer exacerbations; the frequency of these exacerbations increases with the severity of the disease. It has been previously shown that the level of health-related quality of life of COPD subjects deteriorates considerably with increasing severity of disease and that the deterioration is linearly related to a decrease in FEV1 % predicted normal values.

Inclusion Criteria:

• COPD diagnosis with exacerbation.
• No contraindication of physiotherapy.
• Signed written consent.
• Medical approval for inclusion.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Contraindications for physiotherapy
• Neurological, orthopedic or heart disease