Clinical Manifestation, Evaluation, and Rehabilitative Strategy of Dysphagia Associated With COVID-19.
Yoichiro Aoyagi, Yoko Inamoto, Seiko Shibata and 3 others
PMID 33657028WHAT IT FOUND
For suspected or confirmed COVID-19 dysphagia, clinicians recommended early screening, avoiding nonurgent scope or X-ray swallowing tests, and starting diet or swallow strategies before active exercises.
These are expert recommendations, not tested interventions.
Key findings
01Instrumental swallowing tests are considered aerosol-generating and were not recommended for nonemergent or nonurgent patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.
02For COVID-19-positive patients, conservative management such as diet modification and swallow strategies was more likely to be the first choice than active swallowing exercise until the patient tests negative.
03Rapid dysphagia screening can be done by a trained nurse, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, or physician, and postextubation screening is recommended as standard in intensive care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This is a narrative review, not a trial, so its recommendations are expert opinion and local practice rather than tested effects. It relies on case reports and other studies, including the authors' own case, so it cannot show how common dysphagia is or how well any treatment works. The aerosol risk of many swallowing exercises is not settled; the paper states consensus has not been achieved. The telerehabilitation program is described as a preliminary attempt with satisfaction reports, and its efficacy requires further verification.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were reported by the authors or by any individuals controlling the content.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the recommended screening, PPE, or exercise risk categories as proof they reduce transmission or improve swallowing. The paper is a narrative review and says the telerehabilitation program's efficacy requires further verification.