Additional File 2

Articles excluded from the full-text analysis

Study / Population / Intervention / Study design / Outcomes
Menna J, Ferreiros E, Cassera JC, Glasserman CO,Baglivo H,Bertolozzi E, et al. Rehabilitation after coronary revascularization: random study and follow-up of a group of patients. Rev Esp Cardiol 1978;31:303–10. / ü  / Intervention started 2 months after surgery / ü  / ü 
Dull JL, Dull WL. Are maximal inspiratory breathing exercises or incentive spirometry better than early mobilization after cardiopulmonary bypass? Phys Ther 1983;63:655–9. / ü  / ü  / ü  / Pulmonary function
Ungerman-deMent P, Bemis A. Exercise program for patients after cardiac surgery. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1986;67:463–6. / ü  / ü  / Non-randomised trial / ü 
Malikov VE, Petrunina LV, Baukina IA. Differentiated methods of therapeutic exercise in the hospital rehabilitation of patients with ischemic heart disease after aortocoronary shunting. Kardiologiia 1993;33:34–7. / ü  / ü  / Non-randomised trial / ü 
Wright DJ, Williams SG, Riley R, Marshall P,Tan LB. Is early, low level, short term exercise cardiac rehabilitation following coronary bypass surgery beneficial? A randomised controlled trial. Heart 2002;88:83–4. / Data sample not available / Intervention started 6 weeks after surgery / ü  / ü 
Eisenschink AM, Kirchner E, Bauder-Missbach H, Loy S,Kron M. Effects of kinesthetic mobilization in comparison with standard mobilization on respiratory function after coronary artery bypass and other relevant factors. Pflege 2003;16:205–15. / ü  / Intervention time not specified / ü  / Pulmonary function
Borghi-Silva A, Mendes RG, Costa FS, Di Lorenzo VA,Oliveira CR,Luzzi S. The influences of positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) associated with physiotherapy intervention in phase I cardiac rehabilitation. Clinics 2005;60:465–72. / ü  / ü  / ü  / Pulmonary function
ZamotaevIu N, Kosov VA, Gulevatyĭ GV. Medical rehabilitation of patients after aortocoronary bypass grafting at the resort with the use of combined physiotherapy. Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult 2007;5:8–12. / ü  / Intervention started 20 days after surgery / ü  / ü 
Opasich C, Patrignani A, Mazza A, Gualco A,Cobelli F,Pinna GD. An elderly-centered, personalized, physiotherapy program early after cardiac surgery. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil 2010;17:582–7. / ü  / Intervention time not specified / Non-randomised trial / ü 
Waugaman, S, VanNortwick C, Dionne H, Whitmore E, Bradley L. Early mobilization in cardiac surgery patients decreases complications, length of stay, and readmission.Crit Care Nurs 2015;35:e24–25. / ü  / ü  / Non-randomised trial / ü 
Trevisan MD, Lopes DGC, Mello RGB, Macagnan FE, Kessler A. Alternative physical therapy using a cycle ergometer during hospital rehabilitation of coronary artery bypass grafting: a clinical trial. Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc 2015 (in press). / ü  / ü  / ü  / Outcome assessment time
aZanini M, Nery RM, Da Silveira AD, Buhler RP, De Lima JB, Nascimento GC, Santos FS, Stein R. Effect of different protocols for cardiac rehabilitation phase I in the performance of six-minute walk test in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2015;22:S92. / ü  / ü  / ü  / ü 
aThis study fullfilled all the review elegibility criteria. According to the author (RS), the publication with the entire data collection is not yet available.