Background: Breath-holding test has been tested in some clinical scenarios and has proved to be of clinical utility.Objectives: To determine the maximum voluntary breath-holding time in patients with obstructive ventilator defects and in normal subjects and to correlate the breath-holding times with pulmonary function tests. Methods:We conducted a case-control study including patients with obstructive ventilator defects and a control group consisted of volunteers recruited in the same hospital, with normal spirometry. Spirometry was performed using a computerized spirometer. Breath-holding test was conducted using a pneumotachograph. All measured outputs were displayed in real time on a portable computer. The maximal voluntary apnea inspiratory and expiratory times (MVAIT and MVAET) were measured.Results: A total of 35 patients with obstructive ventilatory defects (18 asthma and 17 COPD) and 16 controls met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. The MVAIT was lower in COPD patients (21.6 ± 12.6 seconds) than in controls (31.5 ± 15.7 seconds) (p=0.049). MVAET was also lower in COPD cases than in controls (16.5 ± 6.0 vs 22.1 ± 7.9; p=0.030). We found positive and significant correlations between MVAIT and FVC (L) (r=0.656; p=0.004) and between MVAIT and FEV 1 (L) (r=0.518; p=0.033) in COPD cases. MVAET was also correlated with FVC (L) (r=0.505; p=0.039) and FEV 1 (L) (r=0.757; p<0.0001).Conclusions: MVAIT and MVAET were significant lower in patients with obstructive ventilatory defects with COPD diagnosis than in controls, and they were correlated positively with FVC and FEV 1 in COPD patients. Our results provide additional evidence of usefulness of MVAIT/MVAET as pulmonary function tests.

A união entre europeus e africanos modelou um corpo-samba de características ímpares impregnado na imaginação brasileira. A ideia é provar que o samba, produto marginalizado pelas elites, passou a ser símbolo de brasilidade, uma identidade Nacional. Num primeiro momento são traçados breves contextos históricos, sociais e políticos das décadas de 1910 a 1940 em relação a história e evolução do samba no Brasil. Num segundo momento trazemos a construção do corpo pelo samba. A teoria dos estudos culturais foi usada como base para a investigação histórica. Tal estudo foi realizado através de análises sócio-históricas em artigos e livros, que possibilitassem a interpretação das representações construídas em torno da passagem do significado do samba, de sua música e dança de cunho popular para uma representação da cultura brasileira. Palavras Chave: Samba, Estudo cultural, Corpo-Samba, Afrodescendente, Rio de Janeiro

Objective: To identify the role of bronchodilators in the maximal breath-hold time in patients with obstructive lung disease (OLD). Methods: We conducted a case-control study including patients with OLD and a control group. Spirometric tests were performed prior to and after the use of a bronchodilator, as were breath-hold tests, using an electronic microprocessor and a pneumotachograph as a flow transducer. Respiratory flow curves were displayed in real time on a portable computer. The maximal breath-hold times at end-inspiratory volume and at end-expiratory volume (BHT max V EI and BHT max V EE , respectively) were determined from the acquired signal. Results: A total of 35 patients with OLD and 16 controls were included. Prior to the use of a bronchodilator, the BHT max V EI was significantly lower in the OLD group than in the control group (22.27 ± 11.81 s vs. 31.45 ± 15.73 s; p = 0.025), although there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the post-bronchodilator values (24.94 ± 12.89 s vs. 31.67 ± 17.53 s). In contrast, BHT max V EE values were significantly lower in the OLD group than in the control group, in the pre-and post-bronchodilator tests (16.88 ± 6.58 s vs. 22.09 ± 7.95 s; p = 0.017; and 21.22 ± 9.37 s vs. 28.53 ± 12.46 s; p = 0.024, respectively). Conclusions: Our results provide additional evidence of the clinical usefulness of the breath-hold test in the assessment of pulmonary function and add to the existing knowledge regarding the role of the bronchodilator in this test. Keywords:Respiratory function tests; Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Bronchodilator agents; Apnea. ResumoObjetivo: Identificar o papel do broncodilatador no tempo de apneia voluntária máxima em pacientes com distúrbios ventilatórios obstrutivos (DVOs). Métodos: Estudo caso-controle incluindo pacientes com DVOs e grupo controle. Foram realizadas espirometrias antes e após o uso de broncodilatador, assim como testes de apneia respiratória, utilizando-se um microprocessador eletrônico e um pneumotacógrafo como transdutor de fluxo. As curvas de fluxo respiratório foram exibidas em tempo real em um computador portátil, e os tempos de apneia voluntária inspiratória e expiratória máximos (TAVIM e TAVEM, respectivamente) foram determinados a partir do sinal adquirido. Resultados: Um total de 35 pacientes com DVOs e 16 controles foram incluídos no estudo. O TAVIM sem o uso de broncodilatador foi significativamente menor no grupo DVO que no grupo controle (22,27 ± 11,81 s vs. 31,45 ± 15,73; p = 0,025), mas essa diferença não foi significativa após o uso de broncodilatador (24,94 ± 12,89 s vs. 31,67 ± 17,53 s). Os valores de TAVEM foram significativamente menores no grupo DVO que no grupo controle antes (16,88 ± 6,58 s vs. 22,09 ± 7,95 s; p = 0,017) e após o uso de broncodilatador (21,22 ± 9,37 s vs. 28,53 ± 12,46 s; p = 0,024). Conclusões: Estes resultados fornecem uma evidência adicional da utilidade clínica do teste de apneia na avaliação da função pulmonar e do papel do broncodilatador n...