Diagnostic and surgical innovations in otolaryngology for adult and paediatric patients during the COVID-19 era

During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, otolaryngology has been shown to be a high-risk specialty due to the exposure to aerosol-generating physical examinations, procedures and surgical interventions on the head and neck area, both in adult and paediatric patients. This has prompted the issue of updating the guidelines by International Health Authorities in the Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) field and, at the same time, has stimulated engineers and healthcare professionals to develop new devices and technologies with the aim of reducing the risk of contamination for physicians, nurses and patients. METHODS: A review of the literature published on PubMed, Ovid/Medline and Scopus databases was performed from January 01, 2020 to December 31, 2021. RESULTS: 73 articles were eligible to be included, which were subdivided into 4 categories: (“Artificial Intelligence (AI)”; “Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)”; “Diagnostic tools”; “Surgical tools”). CONCLUSIONS: All of the innovations that have been developed during the COVID-19 pandemic have laid the foundation for a radical technological change of society, not only in medicine but also from a social, political and economical points of view that will leave its mark in the coming decades.