Valdete Alves Valentins dos Santos Filha

Perfil epidemiológico de idosos que foram a óbito por queda no Rio Grande do Sul

OBJETIVO: Tracar o perfil dos idosos que foram a obito por queda no Rio Grande do Sul no periodo de 2006 a 2011. METODOS: Foram analisados 2.126 obitos por queda em idosos no RS de 2006 a 2011, registrados no Sistema de Informacoes sobre Mortalidade. As analises estatisticas foram realizadas utilizando-se o aplicativo computacional PASW 17.0. RESULTADOS: A chance de obitos por queda nos idosos e significativamente maior para o genero feminino, para a faixa etaria acima de 69 anos, para idosos com cor de pele branca, para viuvos ou solteiros. Houve acrescimo de 41,8% nos coeficientes de mortalidade especificos por queda no periodo do estudo, o maior coeficiente ocorrendo em 2011 31,56 obitos por queda a cada 100 mil idosos, maior para o genero feminino e para idade de 80 anos ou mais. CONCLUSAO: Constatou-se que o coeficiente de mortalidade por queda aumentou de 2006 para 2011 naquele estado, sendo mais elevado para os idosos de 80 anos ou mais, resultados de relevância para o desenvolvimento de politicas publicas para o idoso.

The institutionalized elderly: sociodemographic and clinical-functional profiles related to dizziness

INTRODUCTION Dizziness is among the most common complaints in the elderly population. OBJECTIVE To determine the sociodemographic and clinical-functional profiles of institutionalized elderly people related to dizziness. METHODS Cross-sectional prospective study with institutionalized elderly people aged 60 or more years. A questionnaire on sociodemographic and clinical-functional characteristics was applied, and an anamnesis of occurrence of dizziness was held, as well as the Dizziness Handicap Inventory questionnaire. RESULTS 48.9% of the elderly subjects had dizziness. The mean numbers of diseases and medications associated with dizziness were, respectively, 4.5 diseases and 7.8 medications. We found a significant association between the occurrence of dizziness and diseases of the musculoskeletal system, sub-connective tissue and genitourinary system, as well as the use of medications for the musculoskeletal system. The scores for handicap degree in functional DHI were significantly higher among elderly subjects who needed walking aids, who had suffered falls, and those manifesting anxiety. CONCLUSION Our sample included subjects of advanced age, primarily women, who were institutionalized less than five years, with multiple diseases and polypharmacy users. They presented long-standing short-duration mixed dizziness, that occurred more than once a month and affected mainly the functional aspect.

O uso de software no treinamento auditivo em crianças: revisão teórica

The auditory processing disorder refers to the inability of the central auditory system to capture and interpret sound information from the external environment. To minimize or to remedy the effects of this disorder in daily life of the subjects is indicated therapy with auditory training. The aim of this study was to present a literature review on the use of software in the training of auditory skills in children. Have been take one search in databases: Scientific Eletronic Library Online (SCIELO), Sistema da Literatura Latino-Americana em Ciencias da Saude (LILACS), National Library of Medicine (MEDLINE e PUBMED) and Indice Bibliografico Espanhol de Ciencia da Saude (IBECS). The research was carried out from 2008 to 2014, using the keywords: auditory perception; acoustic stimulation; Software; children. Selection criteria: Publication performed after 2008 and using computerized auditory training as a means of therapeutic intervention in children independent of the condition and/or disorder involved, in Portuguese or Spanish or English. According to research in the last six years, the use of software in the auditory training in children has been shown to be an effective tool. The articles analyzed demonstrate that the use of computer programs allows engagement and motivation, besides the rehabilitation of the auditory skills.

Equipamento de proteção individual auricular: avaliação da efetividade em trabalhadores expostos a ruído

Purpose: to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of equipment of individual hearing protection (auricular protector) of insertion in workers exposed to noise, checking if its use with and without orientation about its adequate use, provides the necessary seal in the hearing impairment and extra-hearing impairment prevention. Methods: it is a descriptive pre-experimental study, of cross-sectional, which used a quantitative method for the data analysis. 75 workers were evaluated (150 ears), with exposure to occupational noise from different sectors and functions of several companies or self-employed workers. All of them were submitted to tonal audiometry in three distinctive moments: i) for obtaining the hearing threshold; ii) using auricular protector of the moldable foam type without orientation about its adequate use; iii) using the auricular protector after the orientation of the phonoaudiologist that evaluates. Results: the comparison between the values obtained in the audiometric evaluation with the use of auricular protector, with and without orientation of the professional phonoaudiologist, revealed a statistically significant gain only in the case of rehabilitation of the device in the auditory canal. Conclusion: the comparison between the answers evidences a higher effectiveness and attenuation of the auricular protector of the moldable foam type, after the adequate orientation of the phonoaudiologist.

Postura e equilíbrio corporal de escolares de oito a doze anos com e sem respiração oral

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the posture and body balance of students with and without oral breathing, as well as to verify whether there is a correlation between the values obtained in this evaluation and those of the analysis of sensory systems. Methods The research was conducted with school children aged 8 to 12 years. The sample was subdivided into two study groups: schoolchildren with oral breathing and school children without oral breathing (control). The division of the groups was determined on the basis of pre-established criteria investigated in the anamnesis, hearing evaluation, and assessment of the stomatognathic system. The schoolchildren from both groups were submitted to postural evaluation using the Postural Assessment Software (SAPO) on the right and left lateral views and the Foam-laser Dynamic Posturography test. Results In the assessment of posture, a statistically significant difference was found only in the knee angle on the left lateral view. With regards to the Dynamic Posturography, there was a statistically significant difference in the values obtained in the six tests of sensory organization (TOS). There was a moderate correlation between the position of the head on the left lateral view and the sensory systems. Conclusions Schoolchildren with oral breathing present postural changes compared with those without oral breathing, mainly regarding the positioning of the knee. The body balance in the group of schoolchildren with oral breathing showed greater impairment compared with that in the group of schoolchildren without oral breathing. There is a correlation between the cephalic position and the different sensory systems.PURPOSE This study aims to evaluate the posture and body balance of students with and without oral breathing, as well as to verify whether there is a correlation between the values obtained in this evaluation and those of the analysis of sensory systems. METHODS The research was conducted with school children aged 8 to 12 years. The sample was subdivided into two study groups: schoolchildren with oral breathing and school children without oral breathing (control). The division of the groups was determined on the basis of pre-established criteria investigated in the anamnesis, hearing evaluation, and assessment of the stomatognathic system. The schoolchildren from both groups were submitted to postural evaluation using the Postural Assessment Software (SAPO) on the right and left lateral views and the Foam-laser Dynamic Posturography test. RESULTS In the assessment of posture, a statistically significant difference was found only in the knee angle on the left lateral view. With regards to the Dynamic Posturography, there was a statistically significant difference in the values obtained in the six tests of sensory organization (TOS). There was a moderate correlation between the position of the head on the left lateral view and the sensory systems. CONCLUSIONS Schoolchildren with oral breathing present postural changes compared with those without oral breathing, mainly regarding the positioning of the knee. The body balance in the group of schoolchildren with oral breathing showed greater impairment compared with that in the group of schoolchildren without oral breathing. There is a correlation between the cephalic position and the different sensory systems.

Potenciais evocados auditivos de curta e longa latência em indivíduos com disfunção vestibular

Purpose Evaluate the auditory pathway at the brainstem and cortical levels in individuals with peripheral vestibular dysfunction. Methods The study sample was composed 19 individuals aged 20-80 years that presented exam results suggestive of Peripheral Vestibular Disorder (PVD) or Vestibular Dysfunction (VD). Participants underwent evaluation of the auditory pathway through Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials (BAEP) (short latency) and P1, N1, P2, N2, and P300 cortical potentials (long latency). Results Nine individuals presented diagnosis of VD and 10 participants were diagnosed with PVD. The overall average of the long latency potentials of the participants was within the normal range, whereas an increased mean was observed in the short latency of waves III and V of the left ear, as well as in the I - III interpeak interval of both ears. Association of the auditory potentials with VD and PVD showed statistically significant correlation only in the III - V interpeak interval of the right ear for short latency. Comparison between the long and short latencies in the groups showed differences between VD and PVD, but without statistical significance. Conclusion No statistically significant correlation was observed between VD/PVD and the auditory evoked potentials; however, for the long latency potentials, individuals with VD presented higher latency in P1, N1, P2, and N2, where as participants with PVD showed higher latency in P300. In the short latency potentials, there was an increase in the absolute latencies in the VD group and in the interpeak intervals in the PVD group.

Avaliação eletroacústica da via eferente olivococlear em indivíduos com queixa de zumbido

Purpose: to investigate the suppressive effect of transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions in subjects with tinnitus complaint and normal audiometry and to analyze the relation to age, gender, laterality of tinnitus and its degree of discomfort. Methods: we assessed 60 subjects, 14 males and 46 females, aged between 20 and 59 years, 30 with tinnitus (experimental group) and 30 without tinnitus complaint (control group). The suppression of transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions was investigated with contralateral white noise at 50 dBHL at the frequency bands of 700, 1000, 1400, 2000, 2800 and 4000Hz. Results: the mean value for the suppression of transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions in the experimental group ranged from 2.14 to 4.38. In the control group, the mean value for suppression of transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions ranged from 2.27 to 4.88. Conclusion: suppression values of otoacoustic emissions were similar in subjects with and without tinnitus, although the results of the tinnitus group were lower, suggesting worse performance of the Superior Olivary Complex.

O ruído e a qualidade de vida na perspectiva de trabalhadores de postos de combustíveis

Purpose: to evaluate the understanding of noise and the perception about quality of life of gas station workers. Methods: this is an exploratory study with a sample of 32 employees, of both sexes from three gas stations of a country town in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Data were collected during the activities allusive to the International Noise Awareness Day, in April 2015, by a questionnaire on noise and hearing health and by the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-Bref). Results: most workers reported not having a hearing loss, discomfort or pain when subjected to noise. However, they believe that exposure to noise can lead to hearing loss as well as tinnitus and dizziness. The working environment was indicated as noisy, but the workers do not perceive noise producers and do not adopt preventive measures. Concerning the quality of life, the lowest score was for the environmental domain, in both sexes and age equal and less than 30 years. Conclusion: the study allowed to understand that the majority of workers does not have significant knowl edge about the need for protective measures against noise; also showed that the environmental domain was the most compromised in the perception of employees on quality of life.

Aplicabilidade do mismatch negativity em crianças e adolescentes: uma revisão descritiva

Mismatch Negativity (MMN) is a cortical potential that occurs in response to a modification of an acoustic stimulus from a sequence of repeated stimuli, which reflects the brain capacity in relation to the discrimination of the sound passively, in other words, without the need of attention of the subject to the sound stimulus. Then, the aim of this study is to perform a descriptive review on MMN, in order to identify its applicability in children and teenagers, in the last five years. To this end, the search was performed in the Lilacs, SciELO, Medline and Pubmed databases by using the following descriptors: cortex auditivo, eletrofisiologia, potenciais evocados auditivos (the English version would be: auditory cortex, electrophysiology, auditory evoked potentials). In addition to, the words Mismatch and Negativity were used. In this review, we found 14 studies which evaluated children and/or teenagers with difficulty in speech articulation, specific language impairment, auditory processing disorder, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, autism, risk for schizophrenia, psychosis, amusia, phenylketonuria and selective attention. So, it was possible to perform the descriptive review on the application of MMN in children and teenagers, concluding that in the last five years there were a reasonable article production about the theme. However, studies on this topic are not expressive in Brazil. Even though there is a variety of applications to MMN, in relation to the Brazilian population, there is a need for scientific evidences to use this potential in different age groups. We also verified that the search for MMN studies in the databases could be performed by only using the words Mismatch and Negativity.

Workplace Activity in Health Professionals Exposed to Chemotherapy Drugs: An Otoneurological Perspective

Introduction The manipulation of antineoplastic drugs presents high risk for accidents and occupational diseases. Objective To evaluate the auditory and vestibular systems of workers who are exposed to chemotherapeutic treatment in the University Hospital of Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil, and to identify the use of individual protection equipment, related to the obtained results. Methods This study is a cross-sectional study using a quantitative method. We evaluate 33 male and female workers, ranging from 21–60 years old, of the nursing and pharmacy sectors. The workers underwent conventional Audiologic Assessment; Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions; and Computerized Vectoelectronystagmography. Results The majority of the sample was female (90.9%). Individual protection equipment was used by 90.9% of the workers. Complaints of dizziness were reported by 56.25% of nursing workers and 52.94% of pharmacy workers. Audiological and vestibular assessment results were within normal limits, 96.97% and 74.20%, respectively. However, audiometric configuration of notch type was identified in 75.75% of all workers. Audiometric notches (76%) and altered caloric test (100%) were often associated with decreased use of coal masks. Conclusion Among the workers evaluated, the vestibulocochlear system was within the normal limits. The presence of notch configuration indicates the need to use individual protection equipment.