A video from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) highlights that cognitive impairment, swallowing problems and speech and language difficulties are among the conditions that patients with COVID-19 reportedly face as they recover from the virus, states a press release.
ASHA emphasized the value of treatment services provided by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) at a critical point in the pandemic as cases spike nationwide. Many of the problems that patients are experiencing are the result of extended time spent on ventilators. Post–intensive care syndrome (PICS) and intensive care unit (ICU) delirium—both characterized by symptoms that include cognitive impairment—are not exclusive to COVID-19 patients. However, the lack of stimulation and interaction with loved ones that patients would normally have at hospital bedsides is exacerbating patients’ recovery conditions.
Conditions include:
· Communication: A patient in acute care who is on a ventilator may have trouble speaking and may need help communicating their needs and wishes through alternative methods of communication, such as gesturing or using word or picture boards. Some individuals with COVID-19 have experienced a stroke, which can result in communication problems such as slurred speech (called dysarthria) and difficulty understanding or producing language (called aphasia).
· Swallowing: Swallowing problems may result from a variety of causes related to COVID-19. These can include damage to a person’s vocal cords that may occur during breathing tube placement or removal, fluid buildup in a person’s lungs, or as a side effect of other COVID-19 complications such as stroke—which can lead to weakness and/or incoordination of muscles in the mouth and throat.
· Cognitive: Patients with COVID-19 who have spent time on a ventilator or who have experienced low oxygen to the brain can become confused and disoriented. Some individuals might experience long-term cognitive problems—including difficulties with attention, memory, problem solving and reasoning skills.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has the release.
