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The physiotherapist’s role in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

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Bibliographic Details
Summary:The disease COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 translates, in individuals affected by this virus, from mild respiratory symptoms, sometimes imperceptible to serious respiratory and multiorgan implications, especially if associated with risk groups such as people with hypertension, diabetes, or those with more than 65 years, among others. For the most severely affected patients, hospitalization in intensive care units due to severe respiratory distress syndrome may be a reality, with increased hospitalization time compared to normal pneumonia, which will translate into the motor and functional sequelae where the physiotherapist will have an essential role to develop. In any of the different stages of evolution of this disease (critical and acute, post-acute, ambulatory, and home), the physiotherapist acts in order to restore maximum functional capacity in individuals affected by COVID-19. The purpose of this text is thus to show the role of the physiotherapist in each of these intervention stages.
Main Authors:Tomás, Maria Teresa
Other Authors:Ferreira, Germano; Fernandes, Beatriz
Subject:COVID-19 Síndroma de dificuldade respiratória aguda Fisioterapia respiratória COVID-19 Acute respiratory distress syndrome Respiratory physiotherapy
Year:2022
Country:Portugal
Document type:article
Access type:unknown
Associated institution:Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa
Language:Portuguese
Origin:Saúde & Tecnologia
Description
Summary:The disease COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 translates, in individuals affected by this virus, from mild respiratory symptoms, sometimes imperceptible to serious respiratory and multiorgan implications, especially if associated with risk groups such as people with hypertension, diabetes, or those with more than 65 years, among others. For the most severely affected patients, hospitalization in intensive care units due to severe respiratory distress syndrome may be a reality, with increased hospitalization time compared to normal pneumonia, which will translate into the motor and functional sequelae where the physiotherapist will have an essential role to develop. In any of the different stages of evolution of this disease (critical and acute, post-acute, ambulatory, and home), the physiotherapist acts in order to restore maximum functional capacity in individuals affected by COVID-19. The purpose of this text is thus to show the role of the physiotherapist in each of these intervention stages.