Orofacial dysfunction after stroke-A multidisciplinary approach.

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the study protocol in an ongoing clinical trial evaluating oral screen training as part of a post-stroke rehabilitation programme. Baseline data were related to four domains: dysphagia, lip function, masticatory performance and patient-related outcome measures (PROM). BACKGROUND: Stroke is one of the most common causes of disability-adjusted life years, and dysphagia is a common remaining problem after stroke. Rehabilitation using oral screen training has been suggested to improve swallowing, but evidence is still insufficient. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients diagnosed with stroke with persisting objective and/or subjective swallowing dysfunction after primary rehabilitation were assessed for eligibility. In total, 25 patients were included. Objective function was assessed by swallowing capacity test (SCT), lip force and masticatory performance, subjective function by EAT-10 and NOT-S and PROM by LiSat-11 and ESAS. RESULTS: Baseline data presented a heterogeneous pattern with no significant association between objective and subjective dysfunction. Most of the participants (20/25) showed impaired swallowing capacity in SCT, and 23/24 revealed orofacial dysfunction according to NOT-S. The most common subjective item reported was chewing and swallowing problems (19/24). CONCLUSION: The heterogenous findings in the included tests and the lack of correlations emphasise the importance of multidisciplinary approaches to identify objective and subjective orofacial post-stroke dysfunction in clinical practice to be able to offer evidence-based individualised care. The included participants were representative of stroke patients with dysphagia, which supports proceeding with the planned intervention.

The burden of illness of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria receiving C5 inhibitors in France, Germany and the United Kingdom: Patient-reported insights on symptoms and quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical, humanistic and economic burden of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) among C5 inhibitor (C5i)-treated patients with PNH. METHODS: This was a web-based, cross-sectional survey (01FEB2021-31MAR2021) of adults with PNH treated with eculizumab (France, Germany, United Kingdom) or ravulizumab (Germany). Self-reported outcomes included: patient characteristics; patient-reported symptoms; and standardised patient-reported outcomes (e.g. Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy [FACIT]-Fatigue, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 [EORTC QLQ-C30]). RESULTS: Among 71 included patients, 98.6% were C5i-treated for ≥3 months (88.7% ≥12 months); among those with self-reported haemoglobin (Hb) levels (n = 63), most (85.7%) were anaemic (defined as ≤12.0 g/dL). Fatigue was the most common symptom at both diagnosis (73.2%) and survey time (63.4%); there were no statistically significant differences in symptom prevalence between treatment subgroups (eculizumab vs. ravulizumab). Total FACIT-Fatigue and EORTC QLQ-C30 scores were substantially lower than European general population references, but there were no statistically significant differences between treatment subgroups. Hb-level subgroups (<10.5 g/dL vs. ≥10.5 d/dL) followed similar trends for all measures, with few significant subgroup differences. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that there remains a considerable burden and unmet need among C5i-treated patients with PNH that requires improved therapies.

Repetitive Saliva Swallowing Test: Norms, Clinical Relevance and the Impact of Saliva Secretion.

Screening tests can be performed to identify stroke patients who require further assessment of swallowing function. The Repetitive Saliva Swallowing Test (RSST) is a screening test during which the patient is asked to swallow saliva as many times as possible for 30 s, while deglutition is counted through palpation of the larynx. This study aimed to establish normative values for three age groups of non-patients (total N = 120) on RSST. One patient group (N = 40) was also recruited from a geriatric stroke unit to assess whether RSST scores predicted outcomes on the Standardised Swallowing Assessment-Svenska (SSA-S), a clinical screening tool here used as a reference test. Since the RSST involves the swallowing of saliva, this study also measured the participants' saliva secretion in order to examine its effect on RSST performance. This study showed that RSST results vary with age (lower among older) and gender (higher for men than women), while the number of doctor-prescribed medications, objective saliva secretion and self-assessed dryness of mouth did not affect the performance significantly. In comparison to a more extensive clinical screening procedure (SSA-S), the RSST correctly predicted 93% of negative cases and 69% of positive cases. This suggests that patients who show signs of aspiration according to SSA-S have a lower probability of detection with RSST.

The burden of illness of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria receiving C5 inhibitors: clinical outcomes and medical encounters from the patient perspective.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical and healthcare resource burden among C5 inhibitor (C5i)-treated patients with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH), using patient-reported data. METHODS: This web-based, cross-sectional survey (01FEB2021-31MAR2021) of adults with PNH treated with eculizumab (France, Germany, UK) or ravulizumab (Germany) included: patient characteristics; treatment patterns/dosage; haematological outcomes (haemoglobin [Hb] levels, transfusions, thrombotic events, breakthrough haemolysis); and medical encounters. Treatment and Hb-level subgroup differences were assessed with statistical significance tests. RESULTS: Among 71 patients, 98.6% were C5i-treated for ≥3 months. The majority (with reported Hb levels) had levels ≤12.0 g/dL (85.7%; n = 54/63). The mean Hb level was 10.2 g/dL (standard deviation [SD]: 2.0; median 10.0 g/dL). Treatment with above label-recommended doses was reported by 30.4% (eculizumab) and 5.3% (ravulizumab) of patients. Within the past 12 months among patients treated with C5i for ≥1 year: 24.1% had ≥1 transfusion; 3.2% had ≥1 thrombosis; and 28.6% had ≥1 breakthrough haemolysis. Among all patients, 26.8% and 31.0% reported emergency department/room [ER] and inpatient visits, respectively. Mean annual, per-patient all-cause medical encounters were: 0.5 (ER); 1.9 (inpatient); and overall outpatient visits ranged by setting from 2.0 to 6.4. Most encounters were PNH-related, with means of 0.4 (ER); 1.8 (inpatient); and 1.6-5.4 (outpatient). Primary haematological and medical encounter outcomes were similar between treatment as well as Hb-level subgroups, with almost no statistically significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Despite at least 3 months of C5i treatment, high proportions of patients with PNH reported low haemoglobin levels and required transfusions and hospitalizations, which suggests remaining unmet needs.