An International Commentary on Dysphagia and Dysphonia During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Anna Miles, Jackie McRae, Gemma Clunie and 10 others
PMID 34981255WHAT IT FOUND
Dysphagia and dysphonia are common after COVID-19, especially in ICU survivors.
While many regain normal swallowing by discharge, non-ICU patients often retain dietary modifications. New airway complications like subglottic stenosis can emerge weeks after hospital discharge.
Key findings
01ICU patients often recover functional swallowing by discharge, but those with tracheostomies are more likely to require texture-modified diets and take longer to start oral feeding.
02Non-ICU hospitalized patients are older with more comorbidities and retain dysphagia requiring modified diets at discharge far more frequently than ICU patients.
03New airway complications such as subglottic stenosis are diagnosed during outpatient follow-up after discharge, sometimes requiring emergency surgery.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review includes unpublished primary data, which has not undergone peer review. Most patient data comes from retrospective cohorts or case series, limiting causal inference. There is a lack of published research specifically addressing outcomes in long-term care facilities. The paper is a narrative commentary and review, not a systematic review, so evidence selection may be biased.
Declared interests
No specific conflicts of interest or funding declarations are provided in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a patient who was discharged with a normal diet has fully recovered. Outpatient data shows that self-reported dysphagia and globus symptoms persist in a significant proportion of patients, and new airway complications like stenosis can develop weeks after discharge.