Abstract
Aerosol generating procedures, dysphagia assessment and COVID-19: A rapid review.
Highlights
In response to members’ significant concerns and their request for an examination of the evidence relating to oropharyngeal dysphagia assessment, aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) and associated risk of COVID-19 infection, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) established a COVID-19 Advisory Group
In the UK, dysphagia assessment is often conducted by speech and language therapists (SLTs), though internationally, other multidisciplinary team members may be responsible for this aspect of healthcare
We have presented evidence that forceful coughing generates aerosols and the emerging evidence which indicates that COVID-19 is likely transmitted through aerosol routes
Summary
In response to members’ significant concerns and their request for an examination of the evidence relating to oropharyngeal dysphagia assessment, aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) and associated risk of COVID-19 infection, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) established a COVID-19 Advisory Group (see the appendix). The group aimed to review the evidence underpinning the current healthcare policies in relation to AGPs, dysphagia assessment, and risk of transmission of and infection with COVID-19 in response to urgent clinical information needs. At the time of writing, there is no consensus on a definitive list of healthcare procedures that are AGPs (Judson and Munster 2019) with variations in medical and care procedures considered to be AGPs across national policies (table 1) (Thompson et al 2013, Shiu et al 2019, Use of PPE to Support Infection Prevention and Control Practice when Performing Aerosol Generating Procedures on Confirmed or Clinically Suspected COVID-19 Cases in a Pandemic Situation 2020). New AGPs continue to be identified through literature reviews of conflicting studies, theoretical risk of aerosol generation and expert consensus; non-invasive ventilation and high flow nasal oxygen, for example, are two recent inclusions in UK health protection policy documents (Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGPs) 2019). While some research on AGP and risk of transmission exists, the evidence relating to dysphagia assessment and risk is absent, though this does not reflect an absence of risk
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