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Swallowing Problems After Intubation in COVID-19 Patients: Study Results
What is it about?
Keeping an endotracheal tube in for a long time can make it more difficult for patients to be able to eat by mouth after the tube is removed. It also increases the chances of aspiration. Because of this, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) should assess the swallow function after the breathing tube is removed.
Why is it important?
These findings are important because they show that the longer a patient is on a breathing tube, the longer it will take for them to safely eat by mouth after the tube is removed. For example, patients who were intubated for 1–16 days were cleared to eat earlier those those who were intubated 17–34 days. Additionally, the study found that many patients had trouble swallowing safely, with 78% of those who had aspiration had no sensory response to aspiration. It’s crucial for speech-language pathologists to assess swallowing after extubation and instrumental swallow studies are helpful to assess as the risk of silent aspiration is higher when the patient is intubated for a longer length of time.