Covid-19 Tracheostomized patients in a terciary hospital: long-term voice, swallowing and airway outcomes

• Autor(a) principal: Oliveira, Mariana
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Infante Velada, Tiago, Dorozhko, Iulia, Alpoim Moreira, Inês, Chantre, Tiago, Correia, Susana, Eliseu, Aníbal, Sousa, Herédio
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por; eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.34631/sporl.1030
• topic: COVID-19; Traqueotomia; Voz; Deglutição; Ventilação mecânica invasiva; Complicações; COVID-19; Tracheostomy; Voice; Swallowing; Mechanical ventilation; Complications

COVID-19 has led to an increase number of tracheotomized patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation, whose consequences on voice, swallowing and high airway are poorly known in these patients. The objective of this project was to study them. The 37 COVID-19 patients, hospitalized in an Intensive Care Unit, who had undergone tracheotomy and were subsequently decannulated, between March 2020 and November 2021, were considered. 14 of these patients were included and submitted to an interview, answering questionnaires. 8 of them underwent to endoscopic examination, too. The mean age was 49 years and the male:female ratio was 11:3. The mean time from intubation to tracheotomy was 24 days and 51 days to decannulation. 29% reported swallowing disorders, 14% voice disorders and 29% symptoms indicative of pharyngolaryngeal reflux. 62% of the endoscopies presented alterations. Preliminary results show a high incidence of laryngeal injury but long-term studies are needed, including in non-tracheotomized COVID-19 patients.