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Objective: To compare the occurrence of vocal signs and symptoms before, during, and after coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and analyze possible risk factors for the persistence of these signs and symptoms after disease resolution. Method: This was an observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study. The participants were 45 individuals of both sexes, with a mean age of 44 years, who were previously affected by COVID-19. All participants answered a questionnaire about sociodemographic data, smoking history, disease course, vocal complaints, and the vocal signs and symptoms list (SSL), referring to three timepoints (before, during, and after COVID-19). Results: The most commonly reported vocal signs and symptoms before COVID-19 were phlegm (26.67%; n=12) and dry throat (24.44%; n=11). During COVID-19, the most frequent vocal signs and symptoms were tired voice after short-term use (73.33%; n=33) and dry throat (71.11%; n=32). After the disease, the most reported vocal signs and symptoms were dry throat (57.78%; n=26) and phlegm (53.33; n=24). The self-perception of vocal signs and symptoms before COVID-19 was lower than that during and after COVID-19 (p<0.001). Vocal complaints after COVID-19 and oxygen therapy were predictors of self-perception of vocal signs and symptoms after COVID-19. Conclusion: Individuals affected by COVID-19 had a higher frequency of vocal signs and symptoms during the disease. However, after remission, the frequency of vocal signs and symptoms was higher than that at baseline. The need for oxygen therapy may indicate a risk for a higher occurrence of vocal signs and symptoms after COVID-19.

Introduction: Oncological patients who are submitted to surgical procedures might have postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Thus, preoperative physical conditions must be considered, since it is an important predictor of postoperative development. Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications that might compromise the recovery after oncologic surgery. Method: The present observational transversal study was made between March and October of 2015. Patients diagnosed with cancer were analyzed to determine pulmonary and functional condition and to identify the risk factors for the development of PPCs. The post-surgery recovery was followed through medical records. Data collected from patients’ analyses was correlated with post-surgery development. Results: Thirty patients were analyzed. A negative and moderate correlation was found between maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and PPCs (r=-0.39; p=0.032). A positive correlation between the time of permanence in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and hospitalization days (r=0.40; p=0.02) was observed. Correlations between PPCs and mechanical ventilation (r=0.36; p=0.04) and hospitalization days (r=0.40; p=0.02) were also noticed in the present study. Conclusion: PPCs might prejudice post-surgery outcome. The greater are physical condition and pulmonary functions of the patients before surgery, the better is their recovery.

Introduction: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) considers multiples aspects of functionality. It is believed that this tool can help to classify the functionality of older adults with low back pain (LBP). Objectives: To describe the functionality of active older adults with LBP according to the ICF. Methods: A transversal study was conducted using the brief ICF core set for low back pain, to establish functional profiles of 40 older adults. The ICF categories were considered valid when ≥20% of participants showed some disability. Results: Thirty-two of the 35 categories of the brief ICF core set could be considered representative of the sample. Conclusion: The brief ICF core set for LBP results demonstrated that this classification system is representative for describing the functional profile of the sample.

Objetivo: Verificar na literatura o impacto da deambulação associada à mobilização precoce em pacientes críticos internados em UTI. Métodos: Foram pesquisadas as bases de dados eletrônicas Cochrane, Pubmed, PEDro, Science Direct e SciELO, limitado aos últimos 10 anos incluindo ensaios clínicos randomizados, análises prospectivas e retrospectivas e estudos prospectivos controlados. A escala de Downs and Black e Downs and Black adaptada foi utilizada para avaliar a qualidade metodológica dos artigos. Resultados: Doze estudos foram revisados. Onze artigos utilizaram mobilização passiva e/ou ativa, exercícios ativos, sentar na cama e/ou poltrona, ortostatismo e deambular. Seis estudos avaliaram a morbimortalidade de um protocolo com enfoque em deambulação precoce, quatro avaliaram a segurança da mobilização precoce, dois o impacto na força muscular respiratória, e um investigou a relação da interrupção da sedação na mobilização precoce e outro artigo utilizou a prancha ortostática antes da deambulação. Conclusão: A deambulação impactou positivamente no tempo de internação hospitalar, de UTI e de ventilação mecânica em pacientes graves.

Intensive rehabilitation services with standardized treatment for stroke survivors are desirable once they contribute to the patients' functional improvement even in facilities with restricted financial resources. Objective: To verify whether the stroke program at our public inpatient Rehabilitation Center contributes to improvements in functional outcome. Method: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of the first and last 100 neurological patients (2009-2010 and 2014-2015) admitted at the Lucy Montoro Rehabilitation Network (Morumbi Unit). For this study, the patients were analyzed at admission and at discharge by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). After testing for normality, an unpaired t-test was on the patients' clinical and demographic characteristics. Intragroup analysis was performed by the nonparametric Wilcoxon test. The intergroup analysis used the Mann-Whitney nonparametric test. Functional outcome scores ≤ 3 at discharge were considered favorable. Results: The modified Rankin Scores (mRS) were assessed just before the initiation of the therapies and at the patients' discharge. Median mRS score at admission was 4 compared to 3 at discharge (p=0.0001), after 4 to 6 weeks in the stroke program. Conclusions: Short term, standardized intensive rehabilitation program with multidisciplinary therapies, in which the patient remains hospitalized, promote functional improvements of patients with stroke sequelae.

and age. We included 105 patients in the research, being 44

Introduction: Environmental factors have also been recognized to be a component of a multidimensional gait assessment of people living with disabilities, like persons following an amputation. Objective: To investigated whether the environmental factors outlined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) are considered when evaluating gait following lower limb amputations. Materials and methods: A literature search of the PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus databases was performed. The keywords "amputation" and "gait" were combined with the keywords "barriers", "facilitators", and "environmental factors". Searches were performed without language restrictions. All articles containing data about environmental influences on gait functionality after lower limb amputations published during or after 2002, were included. Manuscripts that did not study adults and literature reviews were excluded. Two researchers identified potentially eligible articles and the methods used to assess gait. To make comparisons between scales, the 2 researchers selected the categories from the ICF chapter on environmental factors. Results: Fourteen studies were obtained from the search. Seven studies were duplicates and 4 were excluded. The remaining 3 articles were evaluated. We identified a total of 74 possibilities for categorization according to the ICF environmental factors, but only 7 ICF categories (9.45%) were considered in the studies analyzed. Conclusions: The influence of environmental factors is frequently not considered in the evaluation of gait following a lower limb amputation. Thorough evaluation of gait after lower limb amputation should reflect the complex nature of gait changes, including environmental factors.