Physical therapy performance in the rehabilitation of survivors of the Kiss nightclub tragedy: an experience report [I] Atuação da fi sioterapia na reabilitação dos sobreviventes da tragédia na boate Kiss: relato de experiência [A] Abstract Introduction: As a result of a fire in the Kiss nightclub that occurred in the city of Santa Maria -RS, 242 people were killed, of whom 235 died on the day of the episode, asphyxiated by the inhalation of toxic smoke. Approximately 1,000 more were injured. Objective: To report the experience of a group of physical therapists, professors at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), in the rehabilitation of survivors of the fire, victims of burns and inhalation injury. Materials and methods: Quantitative and qualitative study, in which an evaluation protocol of physical functional ability was designed to identify rehabilitation needs. Results: Two hundred seventy patients (147 men, mean age 26.72 ± 9.5 years) were examined, of which approximately 70% had some type of clinical modification or functional impairment that indicated the need for rehabilitation. The most prevalent respiratory signs and symptoms were: dry or productive cough (59.2%); abnormal respiratory pace (11.4%); fatigue (35.92%); dyspnea (17.7%); and chest pain