[The oxygen pulse for evaluation of the response to exercise in rehabilitation of patients with myocardial infarct].

A program of physical conditioning for the rehabilitation of the patients affected by myocardial infarction is founded on a preliminary ergometric evaluation and on following examinations of the effects of the prescribed treatment. Submaximal ergometric stress tests utilizing non invasive methods which contain sufficient information about the cardiocirculatory response to the physical effort are required. Sixteen patients underwent hemodynamic evaluation, during ergometric stress test, two months after myocardial infarction. A statistical analysis of the results shows a significant correlation between stroke volume and oxygen pulse. The oxygen pulse, under an increasing effort, describes a curve; the end of its ascending limb may be regarded as the point of the maximal stroke volume. The workload where the curve of oxygen pulse changes the slope can be used as the caloric expense which should be safely attained during the physical conditioning.