Resumen

BORIS ANDINO, Nuria  y  RODRIGUEZ VAZQUEZ, Juan Carlos. Effectiveness of a program of respiratory exercises as a treatment for adult severe asthmatic patients. Rev cubana med [online]. 2007, vol.46, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-302X.

A retrospective and prospective study was performed with 137 severe asthmatic patients, 77 of them participated in a program of respiratory exercises (experimental group) for 15 days in a row in class sessions from 15 to 60 minutes. They continued doing the exercises at home during the year the investigation lasted, and they were compared with 66 patients that did not carry out this activity (control group). All the patients underwent functional tests at the beginning and a year after concluding the treatment. There was a predominance of female white patients aged 40-55. A reduction of admissions, as well as of the frequency of asthma crises was evidenced among those patients  that practiced the respiratory exercises, which was not so in the control group. It was observed an improvement of the night symptoms and the spirometric variables were more evident in the experimental group. It was proved that a year  later, most of the patients were still doing the exercises with a very good level of acceptance. It was concluded that a systematic practice of a program of respiratory exercises is very beneficial for asthmatic patients.

Palabras clave : Asthmatic patients; respiratory exercises.