Relation between Orotracheal Intubation, Inflammatory Markers, Breathing and Voice in Post-COVID-19.
Thaís D Feltrin, Carla A Cielo, Adriane S Pasqualoto
PMID 37045738WHAT IT FOUND
Post-COVID patients who needed intubation had longer hospital stays and higher D-dimer levels, but voice and breathing measures did not differ significantly from those who did not need intubation.
Across the group, worse voice performance was linked to higher vocal fatigue.
Key findings
01Patients who required orotracheal intubation had a significantly longer hospital length of stay compared to those who did not.
02There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of D-dimer levels between intubated and non-intubated patients, with more deviant values in the intubated group.
03Maximum phonation times showed a significant negative correlation with vocal fatigue and vocal performance scores, meaning lower phonation times were associated with worse self-reported voice symptoms.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Small sample size (42 participants) with low statistical power (74.05%). Long and variable time interval between hospital discharge and assessment (mean 143 days for intubated group, 125 days for non-intubated group), allowing for spontaneous recovery. No healthy control group for comparison. Single-center study. Unable to stratify results by age group due to small numbers.
Declared interests
None reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that intubation causes worse voice outcomes. The study found no significant difference in voice measures between intubated and non-intubated patients, suggesting that voice issues may be prevalent in post-COVID patients regardless of intubation status.