Profile of cardiovascular diseases and physiotherapeutic intervention in a hospital emergency service

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally, with a high proportion of hospitalizations and costs. In view of this, it is essential to understand the main CVDs in patients admitted to hospital emergency services and the role of physiotherapists, in order to plan and direct health services, and to denote participation and encourage specific physiotherapy training in the context of tertiary care. Objective: To outline the profile of cardiovascular emergencies and to evaluate physiotherapy in adult patients in the emergency department of a hospital in the interior of the state of São Paulo. Methods: This was an observational study which analyzed 1,256 on-call records over a period of eight months. The data collected included age, gender, cardiovascular diagnostic hypothesis and physiotherapy treatment carried out. Results: A total of 75 patients with cardiovascular emergencies were included, the most prevalent of which were: heart failure (n = 21), acute coronary syndrome (n = 14), acute myocardial infarction (n = 13), bradyarrhythmia (n = 6) and hypertensive crisis (n = 5). Regarding physiotherapeutic actions and their applications, the most frequent were invasive mechanical ventilation management (n = 34), lung re-expansion maneuvers (n = 17), orotracheal intubation assistance (n = 17), non-invasive mechanical ventilation (n = 14), bronchial hygiene maneuvers (n = 12), kinesiotherapy (n = 10) and sedation (n = 10). Conclusion: Heart failure and acute coronary syndrome were the cardiovascular diseases that caused the most admissions to the hospital emergency department and that the procedures with an emphasis on the respiratory system were the most applied.