Correlation between the severity of critically ill patients and clinical predictors of bronchial aspiration

Clinical swallowing prognostic indicators in patients with acute ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVE

A swallowing disorder is present in more than 50% of patients with acute stroke. To identify clinical prognostic indicators of the swallowing function in a population with acute ischemic stroke and to determine prioritization indicators for swallowing rehabilitation.

METHODS

Participants were adults admitted to the emergency room who were diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke. Data gathering involved a swallowing assessment to determine the functional level of swallowing (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Outcome Measurement System - ASHA NOMS) and the verification of demographic and clinical variables.

RESULTS

The study sample included 295 patients. For analysis purposes, patients were grouped as follows: ASHA NOMS levels 1 and 2 - ASHA1 (n = 51); levels 3, 4 and 5 - ASHA2 (n = 96); levels 6 and 7 - ASHA3 (n = 148). Statistical analyses indicated that patients who presented a poorer swallowing function (ASHA1) were older (age ≥ 70 years); had anterior circulation infarct; had lower scores on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS ≤ 14 points); took longer to initiate swallowing rehabilitation; had longer hospital stays; made more use of alternative feeding methods; needed more sessions of swallowing rehabilitation to remove alternate feeding methods; took longer to return to oral feeding and had poorer outcomes (fewer individuals discharged from swallowing rehabilitation sessions and increased mortality).

CONCLUSION

Patients with acute ischemic stroke, admitted to the emergency room, aged ≥ 70 years, score on the GCS ≤ 14, anterior circulation infarct and dementia should be prioritized for swallowing assessment and rehabilitation.

Dysphagia in the intensive care unit: epidemiology, mechanisms, and clinical management

Dysphagia may present in all critically ill patients and large-scale clinical data show that e.g. post-extubation dysphagia (PED) is commonly observed in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Recent data demonstrate that dysphagia is mostly persisting and that its presence is independently associated with adverse patient-centered clinical outcomes. Although several risk factors possibly contributing to dysphagia development were proposed, the underlying exact mechanisms in ICU patients remain incompletely understood and no current consensus exists on how to best approach ICU patients at risk.From a clinical perspective, dysphagia is well-known to be associated with an increased risk of aspiration and aspiration-induced pneumonia, delayed resumption of oral intake/malnutrition, decreased quality of life, prolonged ICU and hospital length of stay, and increased morbidity and mortality. Moreover, the economic burden on public health care systems is high.In light of high mortality rates associated with the presence of dysphagia and the observation that dysphagia is not systematically screened for on most ICUs, this review describes epidemiology, terminology, and potential mechanisms of dysphagia on the ICU. Furthermore, the impact of dysphagia on affected individuals, health care systems, and society is discussed in addition to current and future potential therapeutic approaches.

Evaluation and classification of post-extubation dysphagia in critically ill patients

OBJECTIVE

to identify factors associated with dysphagia in patients undergoing prolonged orotracheal intubation (pOTI) and the post-extubation consequences.

METHODS

150 patients undergoing pOTI participated in the study, evaluated according to the deglutition functional level (American Speech Language - Hearing Association National Outcome Measurement System - ASHA NOMS), severity determination (The Simplified Acute Physiology Score - SOFA) and submitted to collection of variables age, mortality, days of orotracheal intubation, number of sessions to introduce oral diet, and days to hospital discharge. We grouped patients according to ASHA classification: 1 (levels 1 and 2), 2 (levels 3, 4 and 5) and 3 (levels 6 and 7).

RESULTS

the variables associated with impaired deglutition functionality were age (p<0.001), mortality (p<0.003), OTI days (p=0.001), number of sessions to introduce oral diet (p<0.001) and days to hospital discharge (p=0.018). Multiple comparisons indicated significant difference between ASHA1 and ASHA2 groups in relation to ASHA3 group. ASHA1 and ASHA2 groups had a lower SOFA score when compared with the ASHA3 group (p=0.004). Only 20% of ASHA1 patients and 32% of ASHA2 patients presented safe deglutition levels before discharge.

CONCLUSION

factors associated with dysphagia in patients submitted to pOTI were age over 55 years and orotracheal intubation time (greater in the cases with worse deglutition functionality). The post-extubation consequences were increased mortality and length of hospital stay in the presence of dysphagia.