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COVID-19 and hospital restrictions: physical disconnection and digital re-connection in disorders of consciousness.

Abstract
Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced hospitals to adopt tighter restrictions, the most impacting is no access to visitors. Disorder of consciousness (DOC) due to severe acquired brain injury is a condition needing neurorehabilitation and the role of relatives is essential, hence besides physical "disconnection" digital "re-connection" is crucial. We aimed to assess whether digital communication benefits in patients with DOC, considering the sensorial and emotional deprivation due to the COVID-19 emergency lock-down.Methods: For eleven consecutive patients with DOC admitted to our Intensive Neurorehabilitation Care (mean age: 45; females: 9), two observers registered neurobehavioral changes during a video-calls with their relatives. Heart-rate variability was measured before and during the calls. The video-call was performed by using two displays of different sizes: tablet (T-video-call) and large screen (LS-Video-call).Results: The video-calls impacted on the patients' vigilance and in the relationship with relatives. Moreover, positively impacted on their relatives. The current results showed significant greater impact on patients during the LS-video-call than when they are exposed to T-video-call.Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, besides the physical disconnection to stop the contagion spread, a "digital re-connection" is needed for all and especially for fragile population groups as patients with DOC.
AuthorsLuca Padua, Giulia Fredda, Daniele Coraci, Giuseppe Reale, Davide Glorioso, Claudia Loreti, Cristiano Pecchioli, Roberto Bernabei
JournalBrain injury (Brain Inj) Vol. 35 Issue 10 Pg. 1134-1142 (08 24 2021) ISSN: 1362-301X [Electronic] England
PMID34495807 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
Topics
  • COVID-19
  • Communicable Disease Control
  • Consciousness
  • Consciousness Disorders (etiology)
  • Female
  • Heart Rate
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics
  • SARS-CoV-2

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