Speech and Language therapy in intensive care: the value of communication after swallowing impairment

People entering the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) can develop changes in swallowing and communication, as a consequence of disease, or treatments and interventions used to preserve life. Speech and language therapists take on the challenge of managing patients in critical health conditions, to enhance their quality of life after swallowing rehabilitation, to contribute to the communicative wellbeing of patients, families and professionals, and to promote humanisation in ICU. This literature analysis gathered evidence of the therapeutic action of speech and language therapists in ICU. The evidence was reviewed between January 1, 2008 and February 1, 2015 in the EBSCO, Scielo, PubMed Medline and EMBASE databases. Evidence on the role and actions of speech and language therapists in ICU was included. Of the total 200 cross-items, 60 were included according to the inclusion criteria. This research demonstrated the global importance of speech and language therapists within the intensive care unit multidisciplinary team, in communication and swallowing rehabilitation. It highlighted their contribution to the complex work involved in humanising the health services by enabling patients to interact communicatively with their environment.