Evaluation of Swallow Function Post-Extubation: Is It Necessary to Wait 24 Hours?

BACKGROUND: Post-extubation dysphagia is associated with an increased incidence of nosocomial pneumonias, longer hospitalizations, and higher re-intubation rates. The purpose of this study was to determine if it is necessary to delay swallow evaluation for 24 hours post-extubation. METHODS: A prospective investigation of swallowing was conducted at 1, 4, and 24 hours post-extubation to determine if it is necessary to delay swallow evaluation following intubation. Participants were 202 adults from 5 different intensive care units (ICU). RESULTS: A total of 166 of 202 (82.2%) passed the Yale Swallow Protocol at 1 hour post-extubation, with an additional 11 (177/202; 87.6%) at 4 hours, and 8 more (185/202; 91.6%) at 24 hours. Only intubation duration ≥4 days was significantly associated with nonfunctional swallowing. CONCLUSIONS: We found it is not necessary to delay assessment of swallowing in individuals who are post-extubation. Specifically, the majority of patients in our study (82.2%) passed a swallow screening at 1 hour post-extubation.

Comparing accuracy of the Yale swallow protocol when administered by registered nurses and speech-language pathologists.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: (1) To describe the results of a web-based teaching module used by registered nurses to identify patients at risk of aspiration and (2) to determine accuracy of the registered nurse-administered 3-ounce water swallow challenge protocol, that is, drinking three ounces of water, a basic cognitive screen and oral mechanism evaluation, when compared with blinded ratings from speech-language pathology. BACKGROUND: Early identification of potential swallowing problems is important prior to ingestion of food, fluid and medications. Unfortunately, current nurse-administered screens use a variety of non-evidence-based assessments. It would be beneficial to use a valid, reliable and evidence-based screen, that is, the Yale swallow protocol. DESIGN: Prospective, blinded, referral-based. METHODS: Fifty-two registered nurses and 101 inpatients participated. First, each participant was administered the 3-ounce water swallow challenge protocol by a speech-language pathologist. Second, a nurse administered the protocol to the same patient within one hour and independently recorded results and diet recommendations. The nurse was blinded to the study's purpose and results of the speech-language pathologist's initial screening. Out of view, but simultaneous with the nurse-administered protocol, a speech-language pathologist rerated the patient's challenge for comparison with initial results and determined the accuracy of the nurse-administered protocol. RESULTS: Intra- and inter-rater protocol agreements for the two speech-language pathologists were 100%. Inter-rater protocol agreement between registered nurses and speech-language pathologists was 98·01%. CONCLUSIONS: Results confirm the reliability and accuracy of a registered nurse-administered Yale swallow protocol. The consequence of 98% accuracy combined with previously reported 96·5% sensitivity, 97·9% negative predictive value and <2% false negative rate allowed for adoption of the protocol for the entire general hospital population. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Avoidance of preventable prandial pulmonary aspiration as a cause of nosocomial infection is an important goal for all acute care hospitalised patients deemed at risk of aspiration.

Laryngeal physiology and voice acoustics are maintained after minimally invasive parathyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVES: This prospective single-arm study investigated both laryngeal physiology and voice acoustic measures in patients undergoing minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) due to primary hyperparathyroidism (primary HPTH). BACKGROUND: Avoidance of recurrent or superior laryngeal nerve injury and maintenance of normal laryngeal physiology and vocal function are key goals in the treatment of primary HPTH. No data are available comparing pre- and postoperative MIP laryngeal physiology and voice acoustics. METHODS: Patients served as their own controls and underwent identical pre- and postoperative assessment. True vocal fold mobility was assessed and recorded using transnasal fiber-optic laryngoscopy. Vocal capacity was recorded with maximum phonation time and vocal stability by frequency-based voice measures, that is, mean fundamental frequency (F0), standard deviation of the fundamental frequency (F0SD), and jitter and shimmer as measured by relative average perturbation and mean shimmer in decibels, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 104 patients were enrolled [26 men, mean age = 53 years, range 29-79 years; 78 women, mean age = 56 years, range 16-83 years). All completed the protocol and were analyzed according to intent to treat. MIP was accomplished in 95 patients, and 9 were converted to general anesthesia. The cure rate was 100%, as evidenced by normalization of serum calcium levels. Both real-time agreement and blinded inter- and intrarater reliability testing for laryngeal physiology ratings were 100%. One patient (<1%) exhibited a recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found for any voice acoustic parameter between pre- and postoperative MIP (ie, maximum phonation time, F0, F0SD, relative average perturbation, or shimmer in decibels). CONCLUSIONS: MIP can be performed with exquisite disease control and without significant effects on laryngeal physiology or voice acoustic measures. For the first time, both physiologic and acoustic data support the use of MIP.

Success of recommending oral diets in acute stroke patients based on passing a 90-cc water swallow challenge protocol.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the success of recommending specific oral diets following an acute stroke based on passing a 90-cc water swallow challenge protocol. METHOD: The study was a single group consecutively referred case series design. The study took place in a large, urban, tertiary care teaching hospital and involved 75 acute adult stroke inpatients in a 90-cc water swallow challenge. The volume (in cc) of liquid ingested, percent of meal eaten, and specific diet recommendations made 12 to 24 hours after passing a 90-cc water swallow challenge were accessed electronically from routine oral intake information entered by nursing staff on each participant's daily flow sheets. Nurses were blinded to the study's purpose. RESULTS: All 75 participants were drinking thin liquids and eating food successfully 12 to 24 hours after passing a 90-cc water swallow challenge. The mean volume of liquid ingested was 385.4 cc and percent of diet eaten ranged from 10% to 100%. Flow sheets indicated that specific diet recommendations were followed with 100% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Successfully recommending specific oral diets to acute stroke patients based on passing a 90-cc water swallow challenge protocol was supported. A 90-cc challenge is an easily administered, highly reliable, cost-effective, and validated clinical assessment that can be used by a variety of qualified health care professionals to identify aspiration risk. When a 90-cc challenge protocol is passed, specific diet recommendations can be made safely and confidently without the need for further objective dysphagia testing.

Effect of presence/absence of a nasogastric tube in the same person on incidence of aspiration.

OBJECTIVE: To determine what effect, if any, the presence or absence of a nasogastric (NG) tube in the same person had on the incidence of anterograde aspiration. DESIGN: Case series with planned data collection. SETTING: Large, urban, tertiary care teaching hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Referred sample of 62 consecutively enrolled adult inpatients for fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). Group 1 (n = 21) had either small-bore (n = 13) or large-bore (n = 8) NG tubes already in place and had a FEES first with the NG tube in place and a second FEES after NG tube removal. Group 2 (n = 41) did not have an NG tube and had a FEES first without an NG tube and a second FEES after placement of a small-bore NG tube. Time between FEES was approximately 5 minutes. Patients were tested with thin liquid and puree food consistencies. Occurrence of aspiration for each consistency dependent on the presence or absence of an NG tube was recorded. RESULTS: There were no significant differences (P > .05) in aspiration status for both liquid and puree consistencies in the same person dependent on presence or absence of either a small-bore or large-bore NG tube. CONCLUSIONS: Since objective swallowing evaluation (eg, FEES) can be performed with an NG tube in place, it is not necessary to remove an NG tube to evaluate for aspiration. Similarly, there is no contraindication to leaving an NG tube in place to supplement oral alimentation until nutritional requirements are achieved.

Initiating safe oral feeding in critically ill intensive care and step-down unit patients based on passing a 3-ounce (90 milliliters) water swallow challenge.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary aspiration is a leading cause of nosocomial infection in the intensive care unit (ICU) and step-down unit (SDU). A key goal is to identify patients who exhibit increased aspiration risk before beginning oral alimentation. This study investigated the success of recommending specific oral diets to ICU and SDU patients based on passing a 3-oz water swallow challenge. METHODS: A referral-based sample of 401 ICU and 92 SDU patients were prospectively analyzed. Amount of liquid and food ingested at the next day's meal 12 hours to 24 hours after passing a 3-oz challenge and specific diet recommendations were accessed electronically from oral intake information entered on each participant's daily care sheets. Drinking and eating success, clinically evident aspiration events, and accuracy of diet order recommendations were recorded. Care providers were blinded to the purpose of the study. RESULTS: All 401 ICU and 92 SDU patients were successfully drinking thin liquids and eating 12 hours to 24 hours after passing a 3-oz challenge. Mean volume of liquid ingested at the next day's meal was 360 mL±181.2 mL for ICU and 356.4 mL±173.5 mL for SDU patients. Percent of meal eaten ranged from 10% to 100%. Patient care sheets indicated specific diet recommendations were followed with 100% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Successfully recommending specific oral diets for ICU and SDU patients based on passing a 3-oz water swallow challenge was supported. Importantly, when a simple bedside 3-oz challenge administered by a trained provider is passed, specific diet recommendations can be made safely and confidently without the need for further objective dysphagia testing.