Alteraciones a largo plazo en la vía aérea superior producto de una traqueostomía tardía a causa del Covid- 19: un enfoque desde la fisioterapia

Abstract

During the pandemic caused by COVID-19, what is the highest rate of episodes of respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation in critical areas, with prolonged periods of hospitalization, was recorded so far. Minimize contagion as far as possible, rejecting strategies that shorten the days on mechanical vent ilation. Tracheostomy is appreciated for reducing the time of mechanical ventilation, favoring weaning, lowering the mortality rate and avoiding injuries to the upper airway. However, few care centers were able to generate strategies that promote early dec oupling between the patient and the ventilator. This fact could explain the appearance of pathological signs such as chordal dysplasia, stenosis, granulomas, and dysphagia that alter the phonation, swallowing, and respiratory processes. Aspects such as a brief and timely diagnosis, generation of physiotherapeutic strategies that have been validated, with favorable repercussions and together with a multidisciplinary team specialized in dealing with this problem could address this population and prevent these sequelae from becoming a red flag for the health system. We present a brief description of what is documented to date on the repercussions of the airway in post-COVID-19 patients.