Role of the speech therapist in the treatment of dysphagia in users with clinical discharge for COVID-19: A literature review

Abstract

The disease known as Covid-19 was declared a pandemic at the beginning of 2020, substantially attacking the respiratory system of those infected. The progressive respiratory failure generated by the disease even leads to death in severe stages of the disease. Due to this alteration some users may require mechanical ventilation. Much research links intubation to dysphagia. The Speech Therapist is the one who helps in the rehabilitation of swallowing disorders, the objective of this research was to review specialized literature to gather information on the Role of the Speech Pathologist in the Treatment of Dysphagia in High Clinic Users due to (Covid-19). A specific search was carried out in the databases PubMed, Science direct and in the Virtual Health Library (BSV). The key term Mesh “Covid-19” was used then the intersection boolean “AND” and the key term Mesh “Dysphagia” then the intersection boolean “OR” and the key term Mesh “Swallowing Disorder”. A total of 42 articles in distributed as follows: PubMed (14), ScienceDirect (7), BSV (21). In the present investigation only articles corresponding to experimental studies, quasi-experimental studies, case studies, bibliographic reviews were included, clinical trials, where the role of the speech therapist in the work of dysphagia in patients with clinical discharge after having had Covid-19 is observed. The results obtained relate prolonged intubation to dysphagia, although the articles found are not enough to make a generalization, added to the fact that the quality of the articles found does not have the expected level of evidence, despite that, the results found confirm the speech pathologist specializing in orofacial motor skills as a relevant actor both in the evaluation and in the intervention of users who have dysphagia due to prolonged intubation by Covid-19.