Background: Early mobilization and physical exercise are considered fundamental components in cardiovascular surgery rehabilitation; however, occasionally they are inadequate for inhibiting functional decline. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a promising tool in cardiovascular rehabilitation; however, to date, no randomized clinical trial has measured the effects of NMES on functional capacity and quality of life in patients who undergo routine cardiac surgery with a short intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of NMES on walking ability, muscle strength, functional independence, and quality of life in cardiac valve surgery patients in the immediate postoperative period. Methods: A randomized, parallel, controlled, 2-arm clinical trial with assessor blinding was conducted. Fifty-nine adult patients in the preoperative period after cardiac valve reconstruction and/or replacement were randomly assigned to a control or intervention group. The intervention group underwent NMES in the quadriceps and gastrocnemius, bilaterally, for 60 minutes, for up to 10 sessions. The primary outcome was ambulation ability, assessed through the Six-Minute Walk Test and Walking Speed Test at postoperative day 5 (5PO). Secondary outcomes were muscular strength (assessed through the Medical Research Council scale), functional independence measure (assessed through the Functional Independence Measurement Questionnaire), and quality of life (assessed through the Nottingham Health Profile) at baseline (preoperative) and at postoperative days 3 and 5. Results: The baseline characteristics were similar in both groups, except for body mass index. There was no statistically significant difference, with a small effect size, between both groups regarding the distance walked (95% CI, −64.87 to 65.97) and walking speed (95% CI, −0.55 to 0.57). There was a statistically significant difference in upper-limb muscle strength loss and decline in mobility at postoperative day 3, which had a tendency to recover to initial values at 5PO, in both groups. No significant between-group difference was noted for muscle strength, functional independence, and quality of life. Conclusions: The use of NMES had no effect on walking ability, strength, quality of life, or functional outcome in the postoperative period for patients that underwent regular valve replacement.

The aim of this study was to identify the determinants of distance walked in six-minute walk test (6MWD) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery at hospital discharge.

To evaluate the effects of physiotherapeutic respiratory maneuvers on cerebral and cardiovascular hemodynamics and blood gas variables. A descriptive, longitudinal, prospective, nonrandomized clinical trial that included 20 critical patients with severe craniocerebral trauma who were receiving mechanical ventilation and who were admitted to the intensive care unit. Each patient was subjected to the physiotherapeutic maneuvers of vibrocompression and increased manual expiratory flow (5 minutes on each hemithorax), along with subsequent airway suctioning with prior instillation of saline solution, hyperinflation and hyperoxygenation. Variables related to cardiovascular and cerebral hemodynamics and blood gas variables were recorded after each vibrocompression, increased manual expiratory flow and airway suctioning maneuver and 10 minutes after the end of airway suctioning. The hemodynamic and blood gas variables were maintained during vibrocompression and increased manual expiratory flow maneuvers; however, there were increases in mean arterial pressure, intracranial pressure, heart rate, pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary capillary pressure during airway suctioning. All of the values returned to baseline 10 minutes after the end of airway suctioning. Respiratory physiotherapy can be safely performed on patients with severe craniocerebral trauma. Additional caution must be taken when performing airway suctioning because this technique alters cerebral and cardiovascular hemodynamics, even in sedated and paralyzed patients.

During cardiac surgery, several factors contribute to the development of postoperative pulmonary complications. Non-invasive ventilation is a promising therapeutic tool for improving the functionality of this type of patient. The aim of this study is to evaluate the functional capacity and length of stay of patients in a nosocomial intensive care unit who underwent prophylactic non-invasive ventilation after heart valve replacement. The study was a controlled clinical trial, comprising 50 individuals of both sexes who were allocated by randomization into two groups with 25 patients in each group: the control group and experimental group. After surgery, the patients were transferred to the intensive care unit and then participated in standard physical therapy, which was provided to the experimental group after 3 applications of non-invasive ventilation within the first 26 hours after extubation. For non-invasive ventilation, the positive pressure was 10 cm H2O, with a duration of 1 hour. The evaluation was performed on the 7th postoperative day/discharge and included a 6-minute walk test. The intensive care unit and hospitalization times were monitored in both groups. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (REBeC): RBR number 8bxdd3. Analysis of the 6-minute walk test showed that the control group walked an average distance of 264.34±76 meters and the experimental group walked an average distance of 334.07±71 meters (p=0.002). The intensive care unit and hospitalization times did not differ between the groups. Non-invasive ventilation as a therapeutic resource was effective toward improving functionality; however, non-invasive ventilation did not influence the intensive care unit or hospitalization times of the studied cardiac patients.

Background: Ultrasonography has been used to identify structural, quantitative, and qualitative muscle changes. These changes have been assessed in different muscles during ICU stays; however, it is unclear if it can predict functioning after ICU discharge. Objective: To analyze the relationship between muscle changes assessed by ultrasonography and the strength and functioning of ICU survivors. Methods: A systematic review with a meta-analysis was performed according to the MOOSE guidelines and registered in PROSPERO. Searches of the following databases were performed by two of the authors: PubMed, Cinahl, Embase, Scopus, LILACS, Web of Science, and Science Direct. Qualitative analysis was performed using NOS and AHRQ scales. Meta-analysis was performed using the “R”, “metafor” package. Heterogeneity was assessed by I2 and Cochran’s Q test. Meta-regression analyses were performed to verify the moderators, and funnel plots and Egger’s regression intercept test were used to analyze the publication bias. Results: Sixteen articles were included in the qualitative assessment, and nine were used in the quantitative assessment. There is evidence of correlations between MT and muscle strength (r = 0.20 [0.11; 0.27]; p < 0.0001), and MT (r = 0.35 [0.19; 0.49]; p < 0.0001), CSA (r = 0.30 [0.10; 0.47]; p = 0.0038), EI (r = −0.29 [−0.53; −0.01]; p = 0.043) and mobility. In the subgroup analyses, some evidence of a correlation between specific muscles and strength and mobility were found. Conclusions: There is evidence for the correlation between muscle characteristics assessed by US and functioning outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the repercussion of respiratory physiotherapy techniques on the mean arterial pressure (MBP), intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), jugular venous oxygen pressure (PjvO2) and jugular venous oxygen saturation (SjvO2). METHOD: The sample consisted of 20 patients with head trauma. The protocol consisted of physiotherapy techniques application of vibrocompression (VBC), expiratory flow increase (EFI) and suction. RESULTS: The results show the maintenance on variables of cerebral hemodynamics during the techniques of VBC and EFI. However, in relation to suction, there was an increase of MBP, ICP, with maintenance of CPP, PjvO2 and SjvO2 and return to baseline of MBP and ICP 10 minutes after the end of suction. CONCLUSION: The respiratory physiotherapy techniques (VBC, EFI) do not promote cerebral hemodynamic repercussion, unlike suction, in severe head injury patients, mechanically ventilated, sedated and paralyzed.