Open AccessDysphagia in patients with coronavirus disease undergoing orotracheal intubation
Author(s) -
Almeida Vinícius Pereira Barbosa,
Félix Letícia,
Tavares Tracy Lima,
Silva Castro Mariana Marques,
Tiago Romualdo Suzano Louzeiro
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2378-8038
DOI - 10.1002/lio2.886
Subject(s) - medicine , dysphagia , orotracheal intubation , swallowing , intubation , incidence (geometry) , prospective cohort study , cohort , surgery , cohort study , retrospective cohort study , anesthesia , physics , optics
Abstract Objective To assess the incidence and the risk factors for the development of dysphagia in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) undergoing orotracheal intubation. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Methods In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated consecutive patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 and underwent orotracheal intubation were evaluated. During hospitalization, extubated patients were classified as dysphagic and nondysphagic based on bedside functional assessment of swallowing. Patients discharged from hospital were asked to complete the Eating Assessment Tool‐10 (EAT‐10) questionnaire, followed by an endoscopic examination to identify laryngotracheal lesions, and a fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). The food consistencies used for FEES were moderately thick, extremely thick, thin, and regular. Results Based on the functional assessment of swallowing, performed a mean of 5.3 days and a median of 4 days after extubation, the incidence of dysphagia in patients with COVID‐19 undergoing orotracheal intubation was 53.6%. In the late evaluation, performed a mean of 102 days after extubation, 12.8% of patients had an EAT‐10 score >2. Orotracheal intubation (OTI) duration and tracheostomy were risk factors for the development of dysphagia. There was an association between EAT‐10 > 2 and the presence of laryngotracheal lesion, with no difference between lesion type and EAT score >2. Conclusions The incidence of dysphagia varied according to the time of assessment, being higher the earlier the assessment after extubation. OTI duration and tracheostomy were risk factors for the development of dysphagia, and the presence of laryngotracheal lesions demonstrated an association with dysphagia. Level of Evidence 3.