COVID19 and Physiotherapy

YOU MUST HAVE HEARD ABOUT HOW PNEUMONIA AFFECTS YOUR BREATHING CAPACITY.

COVID 19 in its severe form is almost always accompanied by Pneumonia ,which is inflammation of lung tissues.

How does COVID-19 affect the lungs? 

People with COVID-19 pneumonia experience changes in their lungs, including:

• inflammation that may be so severe, it damages the lungs’ alveoli(look at pic above)
• fluid accumulation in the lungs

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• gas exchange difficulties that make it hard to get enough oxygen or expel enough carbon dioxide
• fluid leaking out of blood vessels in the lungs.

Symptoms of pneumonia

The symptoms of pneumonia can vary from mild to severe. However, typical symptoms include:

• coughing
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• shortness of breath
• fever
• difficulty breathing deeply

Pneumonia is severe when a person is having difficulty breathing and experiences respiratory distress.

Who is most at risk of COVID-19 pneumonia? 

People with conditions that weaken the lungs or immune system may be more vulnerable to COVID-19 pneumonia.

Those conditions include:

• Cancer
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Severe heart disease

• Kidney or liver disease

• Asthma and other breathing disorders

Additionally, people over 65 years of age have a much higher risk.

Treatment for COVID-19 pneumonia

• According to the CDC, inpatient care for those with severe cases of COVID-19 typically focuses on managing the complications.
• If a doctor suspects that a person is experiencing pneumonia, they may prescribe antibiotics even though this will not treat COVID-19.
• People with more severe pneumonia may need to stay in the hospital. While in the hospital, a person may receive intravenous (IV) fluids and monitoring. People with breathing difficulties may need a ventilator or oxygen therapy.

NOW WHAT  PHYSIOTHERAPY IS SUPPOSED TO HELP IN COVID 19

Here are some of the problems that physiotherapists can assist with when people are in hospital with COVID-19.

•  Low blood oxygen

In moderate to severe cases of COVID-19, prone positioning (lying face down) is recommended. Lying face down for hours at a time can increase oxygen levels in the blood. This opens up areas of lung tissue to allow more gas exchange.

Physiotherapists may also recommend other positions, such as side lying, to assist lung function depending on the patient’s condition.

• Mucus in the lungs and difficulty breathing

While many people with COVID-19 have a dry cough and don’t have problems with excess mucus build up data from one Chinese study reported that 34% of patients with severe COVID-19 had excess mucus. This build up may happen after being admitted to critical care.

For some people very unwell with COVID-19, physiotherapists might deliver ventilator hyperinflation to mimic larger breaths, or use a flexible catheter to suction mucus out without the need to disconnect the person from the ventilator.

Patients can also be taught breathing exercises to help them cough up mucus on their own. Those experiencing breathlessness or difficulty breathing can be advised about positioning, relaxed breathing techniques, and about modifying their daily activities.

However, some breathing techniques used to clear mucus will result in coughing. This may spread coronavirus, so physiotherapists will need full personal protective equipment. A negative pressure room (where air can’t be circulated outside the room) is also useful for preventing further virus spread.

Weakness

A big focus of physiotherapy during the pandemic will be to get patients moving as soon as possible. But this can only happen when the patient is well enough.

This can start with simply getting patients to move their arms, legs and body in the bed. Physiotherapists will closely manage vital signs such as oxygen levels, respiratory rate and blood pressure to ensure movements are safely tolerated.

Rehabilitation will also vary depending on the patient’s condition. Tiredness or fatigue is reported in about 40% of patients, so physiotherapists will pace activity and potentially see patients more often for shorter treatment sessions. 

                                                                                            

Rehabilitation will be carefully planned and progress gradually to the patient sitting on the edge of their bed, standing, marching on spot, and walking, depending on how well each is tolerated.

People may also develop post-intensive care syndrome, which can develop after a critical illness. People commonly experience problems with their physical function, mental health, or cognitive ability. Where possible, physiotherapists will help patients make a full physical recovery so they can return home. Physiotherapists will work alongside a team to help patients during rehabilitation.

Since recovery and rehabilitation take some time, using technologies such as “tele-rehabilitation” or other forms of remote physiotherapy can help patients return to good health even after they’ve left the hospital.

Adding a Pic and News Today ..Date 17th june ↓

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Please  post your comments and queries. Disclaimer : Most of contents are from https://theconversation.com/coronavirus ,However some images and editing done to make it comprehensible and what I wanted to say on this.