Tendências dos processos de profissionalização no campo da saúde

Neste artigo, resultante de uma comunicação proferida nas III Jornadas de Ciências Sociais e Humanas em Saúde, abordam-se as dinâmicas presentes nas relações profissionais e as tendências dos processos de profissionalização que ocorrem no campo da saúde. O trabalho de investigação empírica, realizado no quadro de um estudo de caso sobre os técnicos de cardiopneumologia e o desenvolvimento da reflexão sobre o tema, constituem o ponto de partida da análise sobre o tema que toma como referência o conjunto dos grupos socioprofissionais deste setor. Após enquadrar os contextos de transformação social que têm ocorrido desde as últimas décadas do século XX e a forma como incidiram no campo da saúde, bem como na recomposição dos respetivos grupos socioprofissionais, salientam-se cinco tendências relativas aos processos de profissionalização observadas neste setor, relacionadas com as relações de poder e dominação profissional; os efeitos da delegação de tarefas e competências ao nível da transferência de legitimidade entre os grupos socioprofissionais; o grau de autonomia; a variabilidade das situações quotidianas ocorridas em diferentes contextos de trabalho que se traduz numa disparidade de tendências muitas vezes contraditórias e paradoxais entre si; o efeito das alterações recentes nos cenários de inserção profissional, num contexto de crescente precariedade e desregulação do mercado de trabalho.

Epidemiologic transition in northern Angola: discussion of cumulative results from CISA (Health Research Centre of Angola)

The 41 years of armed conflict (1961 to 2002) resulted in a poor development of the health care and education infrastructures, and forced the relocation of people to safer places, namely major urban cities like Luanda. This phase was characterized by typical demographic, nutritional and epidemiological profiles. With the end of this period Angola has been repeatedly ranked as one of the three fastest growing economies in the world, and along with the social stabilization and globalization, the country is facing the introduction of new medical technologies, improvement of health sys-tems and services, better access to them, and overall better quality of life. These changes could also be translating into socio-cultural, demographic and nutritional changes which in turn may leading to changes in the epidemiological profile of the country. Thus, the emergence of non-communicable diseases are likely to become an increasingly im-portant public health problem in Angola. Also, considering that several infectious diseases persist, our weakened health system will have to face a double burden. Thus, disease surveillance data on non-communicable diseases to determine their prevalence and impact, along with the major behavioural risk factors like consumption of tobacco, alcohol, diets and physical inactivity are urgently needed.

Does diaphragmatic breathing technique really improve its range of motion? An objective assessment

Purpose - To verify the results of a diaphragmatic breathing technique (DBT) on diaphragmatic range of motion in healthy subjects. Methods - A total of 51 healthy subjects (10 male; 41 female), mean age 20 years old and a body mass index (BMI) ranging from 15.6 to 34.9 kg/m2, were enrolled in this study. Diaphragmatic range of motion was assessed by M-mode ultrasound imaging. Measurements were made before and after the DBT implementation in a standard protocol, based on 3 seconds of inspiration starting from a maximum expiration. Differences between assessments were analyzed by descriptive statistics and t-test (p < 0.05). Results - Mean value range of motion before DBT was 55.3 ± 13.4 mm and after DBT was 63.8 ± 13.2 mm showing a significant improvement of 8.5 ± 14.7 mm (p < 0.001). A strong correlation between the slope and the range of motion was found (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). Conclusions - Based on ultrasound measurements, it has been proved that DBT really contributes to a higher diaphragmatic range of motion. Future studies are needed in order to understand the influence of protocol parameters (e.g. inspiration time). Clinical implications - In the contest of evidence-based practice in physiotherapy, it has been showed by objective measurements that DBT improves the diaphragm range of motion, translating into a more efficient ventilatory function and thus can be used in clinical setting. To our knowledge this is the first study to assess the effects of DBT on range of motion of diaphragm muscle with ultrasound imaging.

Modelação do viaduto do Corgo durante o ensaio de carga estático

Trabalho Final de Mestrado elaborado no Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (LNEC) para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil pelo Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa no âmbito do protocolo de cooperação entre o ISEL e o LNEC