O uso do laser em pacientes com COVID-19: uma revisão sistemática.

Abstract

Laser, an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, capable of generating non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, can cause systemic or local effects, depending on its application site. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic scenario, supporting therapies, such as laser, emerge as an alternative to complement the main treatment by strengthening the immune system, as well as controlling the inflammatory process. This work aims to summarize the scientific evidence about the use of laser in patients with COVID- 19. This is a systematic literature review, in which the steps proposed by the Cochrane Collaboration were followed, in the MEDLINE, Scopus and Science Direct/Embase databases. The acronym PICOS and the flowchart PRISMA were used. The methodological quality assessment was performed according to the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute. In total, 391 articles made up the analysis corpus of the review and the final sample consisted of 13 articles. The articles had a level of evidence: level 1c, 2c, 4c and 4d and scored above 80% in terms of methodological quality. After analyzing the studies, the articles were organized into two categories, namely: 1) Modes of laser application in patients with COVID-19; 2) The laser as an adjunct in the recovery process of people affected by COVID-19. Faced with the current scenario, where there is still no totally effective treatment against the virus, it is necessary to use techniques that minimize inflammation, so the laser is considered a supporting therapy in this process, since it was possible to observe in all the studies found, the recovery of the participants, whether partial or total. Thus, laser is effective as an adjunct therapy in the recovery process of people with COVID-19, due to its anti-inflammatory and tissue restoration properties.