Effects of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients with Diffuse Interstitial Lung Disease

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary treatment option for patients with Diffuse Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). The aim is to describe the effect of a pulmonary rehabilitation program from the clinical condition , functional capacity and quality characteristics of life related to health of patients with diffuse interstitial pulmonary disease. Method: Studies cases in three patients with different severity of the disease. An evaluation was performed at the beginning and end recording sociodemographic, spirometry, dyspnea, distance in the walk test of six minutes and quality of life. 8 weeks of training were performed, three times per week of aerobic exercise on treadmill starting at 80% of estimated peak VO2, increasing to 90% in 4 weeks, both individual and and group education meetings were designed for this program. Results: Smoking was a risk factor present in one case of ILD that belonged to a male patient with IPF, male gender was more frequent, improvement was found between 21-62 meters in the walk test of six minutes; all three cases decreased dyspnea assessed with the MRC scale; Quality of life related to health had clinically meaningful changes in questionnaire scores CRQ-SAS at the end of the pulmonary rehabilitation program. Conclusions: The walk test of six minutes, the MRC dyspnea and quality of life related to health are keys to individually assess aerobic capacity constraints tools and participation restrictions of patients with ILD.