Role of Functional Indicators in the Multifactorial Pathologies in Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitatiion
Background: Patients in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation often complain of exercise intolerance. While ventilatory limitation is often present, other factors are also important: cardiovascular deconditioning, respiratory muscle dysfunction, gas exchange abnormalities and ventricular dysfunction. Methods: Forty patients, hospitalized for a consecutive 6 month-period, with persistent exercise intolerance due to cardiopulmonary pathologies were included. 90% were COPD II to IV GOLD stage; 5% had chronic cardiac decompensation; 5% had undergone surgery for coronary bypass and/or cardiac valve prosthesis. Patients were excluded who were clinically unstable, unable to cooperate correctly, had arrythmia due to atrial fibrillation and/or receiving beta-blocking therapy. We have, furthermore, measured parameters of ventilatory dysfunction (ventilatory reserve, dynamic inspiratory capacity), the parameters of cardiovascular limitation (peak heart rate and recovery heart rate at the first minute), parametes of respiratory muscles dysfunction (maximal inspiratory pressure and at the end of the 6 min walking test). Afterwards we classified patients into three groups: ventilatory-limited, cardiovascular-limited, respiratory muscles-limited. Results: Exercise performance limitation resulted from ventilatory limitation in 60% of the patients, second by cardiovascular limitation in 30% of the patients and also by respiratory muscle limitation in 10% of the patients. Conclusions: Based on admission diagnosis of 40 patients, 90% were defined as subject to pulmonary rehabilitation and in 10% were receiving cardiac rehabilitation. They divided into three specific functional recovery programs: ventilatory function recovery program (60%), cardiac function recovery program (30%), respiratory muscles recovery program (10%).