Effects of pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a public health problem that is the fourth leading cause of death in the world and is characterized by irreversible and progressive limitation of airflow, causing a reduction in quality of life and an increase in morbidity. Among the available treatments, Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) has confirmed scientific evidence, however, this treatment is underutilized in our country, due to problems that transcend the disease, such as the difficulty of assuring social rights in practice. Objective: This review aims to present the benefits of PR and to problematize the role of the social worker in this context. Methods: A bibliographic search was carried out in the Medline, Scielo, LILACS and Web of Science databases, in Portuguese and English, from 2000 to 2016. A total of 343 studies were obtained, of which 329 were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. Only 14 studies were included. Results: It was verified that PR is inserted in the health context of several countries, proving that the costs with health services and the hospitalizations after the program influence the improvement of the quality of life of patients and caregivers by reducing hospitalizations caused by exacerbations. Conclusion: The results show the need for intersectoral actions in Brazil, with the objective of increasing access to specific treatment of COPD in public health. The adequacy of the infrastructure by means of a care line for such condition may benefit the patients, since it will make the treatment more visible. Likewise, health promotion campaigns can contribute to the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of COPD and its comorbidities. The social worker, in turn, must act in accordance with his professional ethical project and at the same time expand the problematization of this condition in collective health.