Beneficios de la rehabilitación pulmonar en pacientes adultos post-COVID-19

Introduction and objectives: SARS-CoV-2 is known as an infectious respiratory disease that primarily presents with symptoms and signs of dry cough, fever, fatigue, muscle weakness, and more severe symptoms such as respiratory distress, which can impair the ventilatory mechanics of the affected patient. The objective of this review is to analyze the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation in adult patients post-COVID-19. Method: A systematic literature review based on the current scientific evidence regarding the benefits of respiratory rehabilitation in adult patients post-COVID-19. Results: To identify the articles selected for this literature review, databases were searched using keywords, resulting in 31,498 articles. Subsequently, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 24 articles were selected. Discussion: A pulmonary rehabilitation program was conducted, which revealed a significant improvement in the 6-minute walk test. This test assessed exercise capacity and oxygen consumption during endurance testing. While no age range was specified, the walk test yields more reliable results in individuals under 70 years of age, with a reported success rate exceeding 90%. In contrast, only 18% of individuals over 70 years of age successfully completed the test. Conclusions: It is noteworthy that the vast majority of physical therapy interventions aim to reduce the overall symptoms of COVID-19. While a comparison of the most appropriate type of physical therapy intervention is still lacking, all have shown similar effects in addressing the resulting sequelae, leading to the development of a treatment plan with greater benefits for the individual.