Speech-Language Pathology Management for Adults with COVID-19 in the Acute Hospital Setting: What Do We Know?

The purpose of this study was to collate and summarize the content covered in published literature describing speech-language pathology management of adult patients with COVID-19 in the acute hospital setting as of February 2022. This review serves as an updated review of the initial recommendations to guide speech-language pathology management for adults with COVID-19 in the acute hospital setting previously provided by Namasivayam-MacDonald and Riquelme in July of 2020. This scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Scoping Review Extension protocol. We searched for relevant peer-reviewed articles in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL. The article review process was conducted using Covidence. Our searches yielded a combined total of 3019 unique citations, of which 54 were accepted for full-text review. Thirty-seven of the 54 studies were review articles, recommendations, or opinion pieces. This translates to mostly low levels of evidence (i.e., Levels VI and VII) and a grade of ‘D’ when applying the American Society of Plastic Surgeons grade recommendation scale for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, meaning there is little or no systematic empirical evidence available. The remaining 17 provided empirical data, which translates to higher levels of evidence and a grade of ‘B’. The empirical data shared in this scoping review provide support for the ongoing role of the SLP in the acute care setting and the impact COVID-19 and its variants have on the underlying systems for communication and swallowing. This document serves as further proof of the need for ongoing research into the clinical presentations of patients with speech-language, cognitive and/or swallowing deficits resulting from COVID-19, as well as into systems of care that will provide the best outcomes in their rehabilitation.