Pulmonary rehabilitation principles in SARS-COV-2 infection (COVID-19): A guideline for the acute and subacute rehabilitation.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious infection disease, which may cause respiratory, physical, psychological, and generalized systemic dysfunction. The severity of disease ranges from an asymptomatic infection or mild illness to mild or severe pneumonia with respiratory failure and/or death. COVID-19 dramatically affects the pulmonary system. There is a lack of knowledge about the long-term outcomes of the disease and the possible sequelae and rehabilitation. This clinical practice guideline includes pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) recommendations for adult COVID-19 patients and has been developed in the light of the guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 provided by the World Health Organization and Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Health, recently published scientific literature, and PR recommendations for COVID-19 regarding basic principles of PR. In this guideline, the contagiousness of COVID-19, recommendations on limited contact of patient with healthcare providers, and the evidence about possible benefits of PR were taken into consideration.

Fever during post-acute rehabilitation in patients with brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of fever during the post-acute rehabilitation phase in patients with brain injury. DESIGN: Prospective study. SUBJECTS: Seventy-four patients with brain injury. METHODS: Patients were evaluated for the presence of fever during the rehabilitation phase. Demographics, time since injury, acute hospital and rehabilitation stay, brain injury and clinical characteristics were recorded for all subjects. RESULTS: Of the study group, 36 patients (36/74; 48.6%) had at least 1 event qualified as fever. The most common cause of fever was urinary tract infection. There were only 2 patients considered as having central fever. Fever was significantly more frequent in patients with a greater number of neurological impairments, more severe neurological impairments and a lower level of independence. The rehabilitation stay was prolonged in patients with fever. The average length of rehabilitation stay was 62.5 days and 49.8 days in patients with or without fever, respectively. CONCLUSION: Infection is the most common cause of fever after brain injury and the incidence of central fever is low.

Comparison of effects of lower extremity orthoses on energy expenditure in patients with cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare the effects of lower extremity orthoses on energy expenditure in patients with cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: We included 48 children with CP using lower extremity orthosis. Energy expenditures determined based on heart rate, yielded an energy expenditure index (EEI) with and without orthosis during walking. RESULTS were compared statistically between orthosis groups (solid polyethylene ankle foot orthosis (PAFO), articulated PAFO, ground reaction foot orthosis (GRAFO), plastic and metallic knee-ankle-foot-orthosis (KAFO), and metallic AFO). RESULTS: It was found that an advancement in energy expenditure was seen with plastic orthoses which is more prominent by solid PAFO (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that especially solid PAFO can be more beneficial in terms of energy consumption in CP patients. In rehabilitation phase, the EEI measurement was seen to be a useful and practical method for choosing the proper orthosis type.