Awareness and Management of Dysphagia in Dutch Intensive Care Units: A Nationwide Survey.

Dysphagia is a common problem in the intensive care unit (ICU), yet no national guidelines on dysphagia prevention, screening, and management exist. We performed a survey to learn which strategies are commonly being used in Dutch ICUs. A survey was developed based on current literature and experts' opinions. It comprised questions regarding hospital and ICU characteristics, perceived prevalence and importance of dysphagia, screening strategies, modalities used to prevent aspiration, and interventions used to improve swallowing function. It was sent to all 90 non-pediatric ICUs in The Netherlands. 67 of 90 addressed ICUs (74%) replied to our survey. A median relevance score of 4 (IQR 4-5) out of 5 was given to the topic of dysphagia. In 22% and 45% of ICUs, patients were always screened for dysphagia after extubation or tracheotomy, respectively. The water swallow test was always part of the work-up in 88% of ICUs. Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing was used occasionally in 60% of ICUs, versus videofluoroscopic swallowing study in 25%. In 49% of ICUs, no standardized active rehabilitation protocol for dysphagia existed. In the remaining 51%, swallowing exercises were always part of standard rehabilitation, occasionally supplemented by electrical stimulation or surface-EMG biofeedback training in 6 and 10%, respectively. Most Dutch ICUs do not regularly screen for dysphagia and almost half do not seem to have a diagnostic, treatment, or rehabilitation protocol, despite recognizing it as a significant and relatively frequent problem in the ICU with potentially serious patient consequences.

Thiamine Levels During Intensive Insulin Therapy in Critically Ill Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Thiamine is an essential cofactor in carbohydrate metabolism, and deficiency can therefore cause various organ dysfunctions. Little is known about the prevalence and possible worsening of thiamine deficiency in critically ill patients. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of thiamine deficiency at admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and hypothesized that intensive insulin therapy, aimed at regulating glucose levels, increases thiamine utilization and therefore might cause or worsen deficiency in patients with limited thiamine stores. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational prospective cohort study was carried out in a medical-surgical ICU in a general teaching hospital in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. All adults who were treated during that time with intensive insulin therapy were included. Deficiency was defined as a thiamine level <100 nmol/L. No thiamine supplementation was administered except for normal amounts present in standard enteral feeding. RESULTS: A total of 58 patients were available for analysis. Median thiamine level at admission was 111 nmol/L. Deficiency was present in 39.7% of patients and was significantly associated with the presence of gastrointestinal pathology and with recent surgery. Thiamine levels increased a median of 14 nmol/L in 48 hours. Only 3.4% of patients showed a predefined relevant decline in thiamine levels. CONCLUSION: Intensive insulin therapy does not appear to cause or worsen thiamine deficiency. However, based on the high prevalence of deficiency at admission, it might be warranted to supplement thiamine in all patients admitted to the ICU, especially when there is an underlying gastrointestinal disease or recent surgery.