Avaliação da percepção de fisioterapeutas quanto à reabilitação das crianças com a Síndrome Congênita do Zika Vírus na Paraíba

Abstract

The cases of microcephaly showed a substantial increase in Brazil, especially in 2015, associated with infections caused by the Zika virus and presenting a rather complex picture in terms of impairment, using the terminology Zika Virus Congenital Syndrome (SCZV). This context imposed the need to expand the offer of rehabilitation care and to qualify the professionals of these services, in order to meet the needs of these children. Preventive or corrective actions on developmental deviations depend on knowledge about the normal and regular sequence of motor acquisitions, which will be the basis for the elaboration of proposals adequately adapted to the situation of each child. In this context, attention is drawn to the responsibility of physical therapists in the rehabilitation process, emphasizing the importance of continuing education. This study aims to assess the perception of physiotherapists in rehabilitation services regarding the conditions for performing physical therapy treatment in children with microcephaly associated with the Zika virus in Paraíba. It is a crosssectional, descriptive and exploratory study of quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study population consisted of 51 physical therapists working in the Specialized Centers for Rehabilitation in Paraíba. The collection took place in two moments, to get to know the perception of physiotherapists about the object of study, the focus group technique was used, since the collection of quantitative data was done through the application of a structured questionnaire, containing 49 questions, 10 with the sociodemographic and professional characterization and 39 specific to the study objective, answered using the Likert scale. It was possible to observe through the study that there is a predominance of females in the care of these children and with an average of 31 years of age, although young people most sought some Lato Sensu type of specialization, but few in the children's area. The courses and training to attend children with the syndrome were considered important, but the support of managers and the search for these courses were difficult. It is also emphasized the importance of the family in the treatment and the involvement and support of the parents. From this study, it was possible to identify several difficulties and potentialities in the service provided to children with SCZV, it was seen that there was no support from management in offering or supporting the search for training, generating demotivating feelings in the professionals. On the other hand, the professionals sought ways to feel empowered and emphasized that the treatment occurs through an interprofessional team. It is also noteworthy that the family has a fundamental role in the evolution of treatment. The results of this study emphasize the need for management incentives for means of permanent and continuing education processes.