Open AccessClinical Importance of Physiotherapy Intervention in Adults with Moderate Symptoms Managed at a Dedicated COVID Government Tertiary Care Hospital - A Case Report
Author(s) -
Dolly Dinesh Kanakia,
Nidhi Pradeep Savla,
Rutuja Ashok Bute,
Anagha Nitin Mangaonkar,
Chhaya Verma
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of evidence based medicine and healthcare
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2349-2570
pISSN - 2349-2562
DOI - 10.18410/jebmh/2021/22
Subject(s) - medicine , psychological intervention , pandemic , intervention (counseling) , health care , government (linguistics) , intensive care medicine , pneumonia , disease , emergency medicine , physical therapy , covid-19 , nursing , infectious disease (medical specialty) , linguistics , philosophy , economics , economic growth
Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is caused by infection from the novel SARS CoV2. The higher potential of this virus to spread has caused a worldwide pandemic situation and a serious public health crisis 1 . This case report aims to highlight the responses and benefits attained from physiotherapy management in COVID 19 patients at a dedicated tertiary care hospital with distinct characteristics and age group. Today, India is in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic wherein all its healthcare workers are relentlessly fighting against the unseen enemy. SARS CoV2 which was identified in the Wuhan city of China in December 2019 primarily affects the respiratory system causing abnormal pulmonary mechanics due to ventilation perfusion mismatch and / or intrapulmonary shunting. This case series is an attempt to discuss various physiotherapeutic interventions administered to patients admitted in the wards of a government tertiary care hospital dedicated for Covid-19 management and its benefits in enhancing recovery and function. A written informed consent along with due consent of the patient for his pictorial representation was obtained. This series describes the cases of four patients with varied characteristics and age who presented with complains of fever, dry cough and breathlessness in our COVID dedicated tertiary care hospital. After ensuring stability in the overall health condition of the patients, physiotherapy intervention was planned for these patients with emphasis on patient education and positioning strategies. All the four patients presented with symptoms of fever, dry cough and breathlessness in common leading to a clinical diagnosis of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). Case 2 also complained of fatigue and weakness. On observation, the patients had increased work of breathing with abnormal breathing pattern which led to breathlessness. Patients showed decreased oxygen saturation when measured with pulse oximeter indicative of ventilation-perfusion mismatch.