EFEITOS DA DESSATURAÇÃO DE OXIGÊNIO NO EQUILÍBRIO ESTÁTICO DE PORTADORES DE OBSTRUÇÃO CRÔNICA AO FLUXO AÉREO.

The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by an airflow limitation, which can cause muscu-loskeletal and exercise dessaturation, this factors can contribute for the alterations in the balance. So the aim of this research was to evaluate the oxygen desaturation effects on balance in patients with COPD. Was evaluated 6 subjects (3 menand 3 women) with 64,83±7,73 years old and clinical and functional diagnosis of COPD. All the subjects were submitted to anamnesis, spirometry, 6 minutes walk test (6MWT), Incremental Shuttle Walking Test (ISWT) and Stairs Climbing Test (SCT) with the purpose to detect possible dessaturations. The patients that desaturated were submitted to an Ergometric Test on the treadmill and Static Balance Evaluationon a strength platform. The oxygen saturation before and after the exercise test was compared using the paired t Test and the measures of balance before and after the desaturation were analyzed by Friedman's Test to repeated measures (p>0,05). The evaluated subject presented pulmonary function compatible with airflow obstruction (Forced Expiratory Volume on the first minute - FEV1 75,16±32,91% and the relation FEV1/FVC 64,67±6,42%) and desaturation in all field tests, except the 6MWT. The variables obtained on the strength platform do not show significant difference in the moments of this study. Thus, we concluded that there was no balance alteration in patients with desaturation after stress test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]