Introduction. Originally described by Landry in 1859 and Guillain, Barré and Strohl in 1916, Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is the most common cause of acute neuromuscular paralysis selflimited in developed countries. The annual incidence of GBS is 1.5 per 100,000. Although it had a favorable prognosis (“maladie bénigne et spontanément curable”) it’s mortality rate is about 5% and 10% of patients remaining severely disabled one year after neurological onset. Specialist teams, intensive care and rehabilitation are essential for patient management and should be provided in appropriate hospital units. Objective. To guide the health professionals about the utilization of the physical and respiratory techniques in patients with GBS, as well as it’s indication. Method. Update of articles about GBS and Rehabilitation, on the last years of the data bases Bireme, ScienceDirect, PubMed and SciELO. Conclusion. There is currently no consensus on the management of these patients in the acute, sub-acute and chronic settings. Many of them are being discharged without access to rehabilitation services. Our results suggest that the rehabilitation makes a measurable and significant difference and should be available to all patients with GBS.

A Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica (ELA) é uma doença neurodegenerativa, progressiva e letal que em alguns casos leva a morte cinco anos após o inicio dos primeiros sintomas. Dessa forma, o cuidado paliativo deve inciar-se logo após a confirmação do diagnóstico clínico. Atualmente, a única medicação aprovada para o tratamento da doença, o Riluzole, parece contribuir para o prolongamento da sobrevida dos pacientes num período de dois a três meses. Todos os músculos esqueléticos são afetados a medida que a doença progride, incluindo os músculos respiratórios. Objetivo. Nortear os profissionais de saúde sobre a utilização da Ventilação Não Invasiva (VNI) e da fisioterapia respiratória em portadores de ELA, bem como sua indicação. Método. Atualização de artigos a respeito da utilização da VNI e da fisioterapia respiratória em pacientes com ELA, nos últimos anos nas bases de dados Medline, SciELO, Cochrane e Lilacs. Conclusão. A VNI pode prolongar a sobrevivência e melhorar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes com ELA durante o curso da doença. Além disso, o gerenciamento dos músculos respiratórios, quando aplicado de forma cautelosa, melhora a função pulmonar, ameniza o declínio do volume corrente e retarda o início da falência respiratória.

standard deviations of the scores of the first follow-up assessment of participants without dementia for the first three follow-ups (n = 573). The resulting composite score was validated against the CDR score by calculating the correlation between the composite score and CDR of the samples of the first (total n 5 1,099, with dementia n 5 235) and second (total n 5 683, with dementia n 5 190) followups and by calculating the correlation of the changes in both scores between the first and second follow-up. Participants without demenita were assigned a CDR score of 0.The Pearson correlation coefficient between the composite score and CDR was 0.88 at the first follow-up, 0.83 at the second follow-up, and 0.62 for in scores between the first and second follow-ups. All correlation coefficients were significant at Po.001. The composite score interquartile range (IQR) was ( À 0.66-0.32) for participants with a CDR of 0, ( À 2.58 to À 0.90) for a CDR of 1, ( À 5.50 to À 2.56) for a CDR of 2, and ( À 9.61 to À 5.23) for a CDR of 3.The results indicate high correlations between the Composite Cognitive and ADL Functioning Score and the CDR score at one point in time. Changes over time in the composite score also correlated highly with change in CDR. These observations support the validity of the composite score that was developed. The fact that the IQRs of the composite scores per CDR score overlapped little shows that the composite score could accurately separate CDR categories. This supports the clinical relevance and provides information for the clinical interpretation of the Composite Cognitive and ADL Functioning Score. Based on the validation by CDR scores in this study population, the Composite Cognitive and ADL Functioning Score is easy to use and interpret and clinically relevant, and because it reduces the need for clinical judgment of each individual required in comparable composite measures, it is highly useful for large population-based studies.

Introduction Many authors have written about the need to treat patients closer to their beds, in order to observe them more as distinct people. The FAST HUG mnemonic, which consists of a checklist, was suggested as an idea to be employed everyday, by professionals dealing with patients who are critically ill. Minding these questions and motivated by an idea of follow patients' treatment closer, we have put into practice the instrument developed by Jean-Louis Vincent, evaluating the seven most important procedures in critically ill patients, and performed the FAST HUG. This checklist consists of seven items to be evaluated: Feeding, Analgesia, Sedation, Thromboembolic prophylaxis, Head-of-bed elevation, stress Ulcer prevention, and Glucose control. Knowing that the pressure ulcer is one of the challenges faced by ICU nurses, related to patients' need to stay at rest, to be under rigorous control or more complex therapy, it was decided to create the eighth item on the checklist: S, for skin. It stands for skin treatment, with the techniques used in the unit (Braden Scale), monitoring and evaluating closer skin integrity, and allowing nurses to calculate the scoring average of the Braden Scale, and greater incidence of ulcer in interned patients. Objective To expose the shortcomings found during the FAST HUG application, and to show results obtained with the eighth item of the FAST HUG mnemonic: S-Skin. Methods A descriptive study, based on institutional data, was carried out in the adult ICU of a private hospital. It was performed from 2 to 27 June 2008, except on weekends. Three hundred and twenty-three patients were involved. The checklist was carried out during the afternoons by the head nurse, or the assistant nurse of the unit. In order to do this job, a spreadsheet was elaborated to control data, updated every week. This spreadsheet provided graphics for a more objective control of the results obtained. The idea was exposed to the team, during a training program, and so we started the activities. Results and discussion For 20 days of the checklist, 323 patients were evaluated for the eight items. The real shortcomings most frequently found were related to thromboembolic prophylaxis (85%) and glucose control (90%). These shortcomings were immediately evaluated and, depending on this analysis, this item would go on or not, according to the patient's clinical situation. The shortcomings found were tracked just as they were detected, and their cause would be discussed in a multidisciplinary group, and a solution was found. If the item was not observed, it would be 1. Vincent JL: Give your patient a fast hug (at least) once a day.