Comparison of swallowing alteration markers between patients with and without Covid-19 post-orotracheal intubation

Abstract

Purpose To compare the swallowing alteration markers in patients with and without COVID-19 and to study the predictive variables of oral feeding contraindication in patients requiring prolonged orotracheal intubation. Methods Retrospective case-control study, with medical record data collection of clinical and demographic variables and the clinical evaluation of swallowing. The collected variables were statistically compared between patients with COVID-19 (SG) and without COVID-19 (CG). Robust Poisson regression analysis was used to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 and other variables on oral feeding contraindication. Results 351 patients were included, 269 in the SG and 82 in the CG. Patients in the SG were younger when compared to the CG (50.7 ± 12.8). The total time of orotracheal intubation was significantly longer in the SG. The patients in the SG had a higher prevalence of weak cough, dysphonia, worse degrees of dysphagia and higher occurrence of contraindication of oral feeding. In the bivariate analysis, it was found that patients with COVID-19 were 65% more likely to have oral feeding contraindication. However, when COVID-19 was adjusted with other clinical and demographic variables, it was found that these variables had a greater influence on the contraindication of the oral feeding than the COVID-19. Conclusion Prolonged orotracheal intubation had a worse effect on alteration markers in swallowing and reintroduction of the oral feeding in COVID-19 patients. Age over 60 years, orotracheal intubation time greater than 5 days, reintubation, and delirium were shown to be predictive of oral feeding contraindication in intubated patients.