Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences (May 2019)

Physical exercise – the friend or the enemy of the patient with pulmonary tuberculosis?

  • Victoria Maria Ruta,
  • Teodora Gabriela Alexescu,
  • Simina Tarmure,
  • Vasile Negrean,
  • Monica Carmen Pop,
  • Nicoleta Motoc,
  • Iulia Olimpia Pfingstgraf,
  • Mirela Georgiana Perne,
  • Lorena Ciumarnean,
  • Simona Valeria Clichici,
  • Adina Milena Man

DOI
https://doi.org/10.22543/7674.61.P1118
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 1
pp. 11 – 18

Abstract

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Introduction. Tuberculosis, a major cause of morbidity and mortality, is the second cause of death from an infectious disease, after HIV/AIDS. Each second, a new infection occurs around the globe. Pulmonary tuberculosis can equally affect a performance athlete as well as an aspiring athlete. Physical exercise must be individualized and customized. Pulmonary rehabilitation guides 3 recommend types of exercises for patients with obstructive pathology: stretching, cardiovascular exercise or aerobics. Exercises must be started under medical supervision and must be interrupted if: the ventricular altitude increases above the maximum estimated level for the age, oxygen saturation (SaO2). Aim. The current review aims at raising awareness on post-tuberculosis disabilities and on the fact that such a frequent pathology with major sequelae is currently being ignored, since there are very few studies on this subject. Material and Method. The purpose of this research was to summarize the current literature regarding the influence of physical activity on patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. An electronic search of Pub Med database and Web of Science was conducted until September 2018. Results and discussions: Only the studies that were published in English were included in this research. The search in the databases was performed using the following keywords: “pulmonary tuberculosis” or “physical activity in respiratory diseases”. The studies from the reference list of the databases were then searched manually. Conclusions. Current pulmonary rehabilitation programs with clear evidence of clinical improvement of the chronic pulmonary pathology are being studied excessively without placing too much emphasis on tuberculosis. It is necessary to develop guidelines for these patients, with a precise onset of the rehabilitation programs, adapted and individualized exercise types, as well as other measures for assessing the outcomes.

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