RESUMO
To assess the usefulness of addition of upper limb exercises to the pulmonary rehabilitation program in order to improve the cardiopulmonary function and hand grip strength after undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting CABG. Ten patients who underwent CABG, with age range 47 to 63 years, were chosen randomly from the physical therapy department of the National Heart Institute. They received the routine physiotherapy program including, sustained maximal inspiratory manouver, incentive spirometer and upper limb with hand grip strength training through the first ten postoperative days. The respiratory rate RR, heart rate HR, blood pressure BP, inspiratory capacity IC, arterial oxygen saturation PO[2] hand grip strength HG and rate. pressure product R.PP were measured and calculated pre and postraining [l0[th] postoperative day]. For control purposes, the same variables were measured in 10 age-and sex matched patients at two different times without performing the additional upper limb and hand training. At the end of the tenth postoperative day both groups showed statistically significant difference regarding the measurable variables. Ecxept in the R.PP and HG which did not statistically improved in the control group, unlike the other patients, who were performed upper limb exercies training. On the other hand, there were statisticalIy significant in the study group in all variables [p<0.05] ecxept in the blood presure [p<0.5].Post cardiac surgery exercise increase the lung and cardiac efficiency by decreasing the respiratory rate, heart rate, myocardial oxygen consumption at a given workload and increasing the inspiratory capacity. The addition of upper extremity exercises improve the upper limb and hand grip sterngth as welI which reflect improvement in exercies tolerance of those patients