Application of quantification of food thickness in patients with swallowing difficulty after thyroidectomy / 中国实用护理杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the effect of quantifying food thickness in patients with swallowing difficulty after thyroidectomy.Methods:A total of 70 patients with swallowing difficulty after thyroidectomy in Department of Thyroid and Neck Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, during April 2019 to March 2020, randomly divided into intervention group(35cases) and control group(35cases). The patients in the control group were treated with conventional dietary nursing measures after thyroidectomy. The patients in the intervention group were treated with dietary guidance according to the results of quantifying food thickness and conventional dietary nursing. The incidence of aspiration was compared during hospitalization, the swallowing function were evaluated in the two groups pre intervention and on discharge, and relationship was evaluated between Kubota drinking test level and food consistency grade of safe eating in intervention group.Results:The incidence of aspiration in the intervention group (0) was lower than that in the control group 28.57% (10/35) and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 value was 11.667, P<0.01). Before intervention the difference in the degrees of Kubota drinking test had no statistical significance between two groups before intervention ( Z value was -0.283, P>0.05). After interventions the degrees of Kubota drinking test was graded as gradeⅠ(1 example), gradeⅡ(4 examples), gradeⅢ(20 examples), grade Ⅳ(9 examples), gradeⅤ(1 example) respectively, meanwhile the degrees of control group was graded as gradeⅠ(0 example), gradeⅡ(1 example), gradeⅢ(16 examples), grade Ⅳ(17 examples), gradeⅤ(1 example) respectively. The difference between two groups was statistically significant ( Z value was -2.170, P<0.05). Moreover, the improvement of swallowing function in the intervention group was larger than that of the control group and the difference in the degree of the swallowing function was statistically significant between two groups ( Z value was -2.029, P<0.05). Before intervention the difference of the score of Eating Assessment Tool-10 had no statistical significance between two groups ( t value was 0.168, P>0.05). After intervention the score of Eating Assessment Tool-10 in the intervention group was 8.43±2.21, the score of Eating Assessment Tool-10 in the control group was 10.06±2.45, the difference had statistical significance between two groups( t value was -2.919, P<0.01). Conclusion:Quantification of fluid food thickness can more accurately and objectively judge the grade of food consistency that patients can eat safely, and it can effectively reduce the incidence of aspiration and contribute to improving the swallowing function in patients with swallowing difficulty after thyroidectomy and can also help them to recovery.