OBJECTIVE: This study was a literature review with the purpose of analyzing articles comparing early and late mobilization and those comparing early and late discharge for patients with acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: The literature review was performed using the LILACS and Medline databases (1966 to 2007), and the length of the resting period, the hospitalization and possible complications were analyzed. RESULTS: We selected 18 articles; 11 of them compared early and late mobilization and 7 compared early and late discharge. The length of the resting period in the early mobilization group varied from 2 to 10 days and 5 to 28 days for the longest resting period. The early discharge group stayed in the hospital from 3 to 14 days and the late discharge group stayed in the hospital from 5 to 21 days. CONCLUSION: The studies show that there is no evidence of complications related to short periods of bed rest and hospitalization.

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