The state of spinal cord injury respiratory rehabilitation in Latin America

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the current state of pulmonary rehabilitation of patients with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) in Latin America (LA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: 468 rehabilitation professionals working with SCI patients from 20 countries in LA answered an online survey related to their training, qualifications, medical practices, and resources. Results: Less than half of pulmonary rehabilitation professionals reported working with SCI patients. Of these, more than half indicated that they had not received training in pulmonary rehabilitation of these patients and did not feel qualified to provide this kind of care. In fact, only 23.4% of those surveyed indicated treating patients with SCI who require mechanical ventilation. Around 60% of providers reported having a multidisciplinary team trained and qualified to practice pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with SCI. Finally, the majority indicated having less than 5 beds to carry out this practice. Conclusions: This manuscript highlights the limited professional training and resource availability in LA to assist patients with SCI requiring pulmonary rehabilitation and provides recommendations to improve the current situation.