Dysphagia among geriatric trauma patients: A population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the significance of dysphagia on clinical outcomes of geriatric trauma patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective population-based study of geriatric trauma patients 65 years and older utilizing the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration dataset from 2010 to 2019. Patients with pre-admission dysphagia were excluded. Multivariable regression was used to create statistical adjustments. Primary outcomes included mortality and the development of dysphagia. Secondary outcomes included length of stay and complications. Subgroup analyses included patients with dementia, patients who received transgastric feeding tubes (GFTs) or tracheostomies, and speech language therapy consultation. RESULTS: A total of 52,946 geriatric patients developed dysphagia after admission during a 9-year period out of 1,150,438 geriatric trauma admissions. In general, patients who developed dysphagia had increased mortality, length of stay, and complications. When adjusted for traumatic brain and cervical spine injuries, the addition of mechanical ventilation decreased the mortality odds. This was also observed in the subset of patients with dysphagia who had GFTs placed. Of the three primary risk factors for dysphagia investigated, mechanical ventilation was the most strongly associated with later development of dysphagia and mortality. CONCLUSION: The geriatric trauma population is vulnerable to dysphagia with a large number associated with traumatic brain injury, cervical spine injury, and polytraumatic injuries that lead to mechanical ventilation. Earlier intubation/mechanical ventilation in association with GFTs was found to be associated with decreased inpatient hospital mortality. Tracheostomy placement was shown to be an independent risk factor for the development of dysphagia. The utilization of speech language therapy was found to be inconsistently utilized.

Impact of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) on the Evolution of Disease in Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Dysphagia is a highly prevalent symptom in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and the implantation of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a very frequent event. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of PEG implantation on survival and complications in ALS. An interhospital registry of patients with ALS of six hospitals in the Castilla-León region (Spain) was created between January 2015 and December 2017. The data were compared for those in whom a PEG was implanted and those who it was not. A total of 93 patients were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 64.63 (17.67) years. A total of 38 patients (38.8%) had a PEG implantation. An improvement in the anthropometric parameters was observed among patients who had a PEG from the beginning of nutritional follow-up compared to those who did not, both in BMI (kg/m2) (PEG: 0 months, 22.06; 6 months, 23.04; p < 0.01; NoPEG: 0 months, 24.59-23.87; p > 0.05). Among the deceased patients, 38 (40.4%) those who had an implanted PEG (20 patients (52.6%) had a longer survival time (PEG: 23 (15-35.5) months; NoPEG 11 (4.75-18.5) months; p = 0.01). A PEG showed a survival benefit among ALS patients. Early implantation of a PEG produced a reduction in admissions associated with complications derived from it.

Relationship between GLIM criteria and disease-specific symptoms and its impact on 5-year survival of esophageal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Malnutrition is common in patients with esophageal cancer, which affects their prognosis. The global leadership initiative on malnutrition (GLIM) criteria was recently proposed as the world's first diagnostic criteria for malnutrition. However, the association between esophageal cancer patients and the GLIM criteria is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the percentage of patients diagnosed with malnutrition preoperatively using the GLIM criteria, assess the impact of disease-specific symptoms on the severity of malnutrition, and assess the prognostic relevance of GLIM defined malnutrition in patients with esophageal cancer. METHODS: This was a retrospective single-center cohort study. Preoperative nutritional status of patients with esophageal cancer hospitalized between June 2009 and July 2011 was evaluated according to the GLIM criteria. Factors related to severe malnutrition as per the GLIM criteria were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The association between the severity of malnutrition based on the GLIM criteria and 5-year survival was assessed using a multivariable Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: Overall, 117 esophageal cancer patients were nutritionally assessed. The percentage of moderate malnutrition and severe malnutrition was 21% and 23%, respectively. Subjective dysphagia [odds ratio (OR): 7.39, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46-37.52] and subjective esophageal obstruction (OR: 10.49, 95% CI: 3.47-31.70) were independent risk factors for severe malnutrition. The hazard ratio (HR) for 5-year mortality tended to be higher for moderate malnutrition (HR: 2.12, 95% CI: 0.91-4.95); however, it was not significantly associated with either moderate malnutrition or severe malnutrition (HR: 1.30, 95% CI: 0.52-3.27). Cases that were censored during the follow-up period probably affected the survival results. CONCLUSION: Subjective feelings of dysphagia and esophageal obstruction might be related to malnutrition severity in esophageal cancer patients. Malnutrition assessed by the GLIM criteria was not significantly associated with 5-year survival.

Poor oral function is associated with loss of independence or death in functionally independent older adults.

AIM: To clarify the association of poor oral function with loss of independence (LOI) or death in functionally independent older adults in the community. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a prospective cohort study in two municipalities in Japan. We included participants who were older than 65 years of age and had no certification in long-term care at baseline. Poor oral function was evaluated by the Kihon Checklist. Among participants with poor oral function, they were further classified by the degree of quality of life (QOL) impairment due to dysphagia. Main outcome is LOI or death from all cause. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence of intervals (CIs) were estimated by Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: Of 1,272 participants, 150 participants (11.8%) had poor oral function. The overall incidence of LOI or death was 10.0% in the participants with poor oral function, while 3.3% in the participants without. Participants with poor oral function were more likely to develop LOI or death than those without (crude HR = 3.17 [95% CIs 1.74-5.78], adjusted HR = 2.30 [95% CIs 1.22-4.36]). 10 participants (0.79%) were classified as poor oral function with QOL impairment, and were more likely to develop LOI or death than those without poor oral function (crude HR = 7.45 [95% CIs 1.80-30.91], adjusted HR = 8.49 [95% CIs 1.88-38.34]). CONCLUSIONS: Poor oral function was associated with higher risk of LOI or death in functionally independent older adults in the community.

Dysphagia worsens short-term outcomes in patients with acute exacerbation of heart failure.

Dysphagia, defined as a dysfunction in any stage or process of eating, is common in patients with acute exacerbation of heart failure (HF). In some diseases, dysphagia worsens in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay, and discharge disposition. However, it remains unclear whether dysphagia is associated with poor short-term outcomes in HF patients. The objective of the present study was to determine whether dysphagia affects short-term outcomes in patients with acute exacerbation of HF. A total of 327 patients hospitalized with acute exacerbation of HF were eligible for the study. Patients were divided into a dysphagia group (DG) or a non-dysphagia group (NDG) based on results of the functional oral intake scale (FOIS), which evaluates a patient's ability of eating and swallowing. FOIS is a 7-point scale, with a level of ≤ 5 indicating dysphagia. Following the withdrawal of 16 patients, short-term outcomes such as in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay, and discharge disposition, of 311 patients were analyzed. All indexes of short-term outcomes were significantly worse in the DG than in the NDG. After propensity score matching, which was performed to adjust for baseline characteristics such as age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, medical history, complications, HF severity, ejection fraction, and biochemical data excluding nutritional status, all short-term outcomes remained significantly worse in the DG than in the NDG. Multivariate analysis showed that FOIS was an independent predictor of in-hospital survival, length of hospital stay, and discharge to home. The present study suggested that dysphagia affected short-term outcomes in patients with acute exacerbation of HF. Therefore, early detection and intervention of dysphagia in HF patients are important.

Factors Contributing to the Preferred Method of Feeding in End-Stage Dementia: A Scoping Review.

Dementia is reported to be the overall fourth leading non-communicable cause of death, and accounted for almost two million deaths worldwide (3.5% of the total number) in 2016. Dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia secondary to dementia are the two most serious comorbidities. As the dementia progresses and the severity of an individual's dysphagia increases, the question of whether to commence an artificial nutrition or allow a person to continue to eat and drink orally is raised, both having associated risks. The purpose of this study was to establish current perspectives regarding the method(s) of feeding being used or preferred, once an individual with dementia has reached the end stages of the disease and is unable to swallow safely and efficiently, and ascertain the reasons for the choice made. An online search was completed, and articles published in English available up to April 2018 were considered for inclusion. Hand searching inclusive of the grey literature was also completed to obtain the maximum amount of relevant information. The total yield numbered 1888 studies, and following exclusions, full text studies deemed suitable for review amounted to 18. Themes were generated during the review process, relevant information was extracted, and six main themes emerged: feeding method; aspiration pneumonia; mortality; malnutrition; ethical considerations, and religion. The review indicated that the preferred method of feeding in end-stage dementia was artificial nutrition, in most cases via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. However, despite the perceived advantage of providing artificial nutrition, no convincing evidence was found to support the use of tube feeding in end-stage dementia. In fact, initiating tube feeding was considered to have adverse effects such as aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and expedited death. Longitudinal research regarding current practice is therefore indicated to establish an optimal procedure for individuals with end-stage dementia and dysphagia.

Aspiration in the Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing Associated with an Increased Risk of Mortality in a Cohort of Patients Suspected of Oropharyngeal Dysphagia.

There is a general lack of published studies on the risk of mortality due to alterations in the safety of swallowing detected during the fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). We aimed at assessing the risk of mortality of the detection of aspiration, penetration, and pharyngeal residues by FEES. A cohort of consecutively evaluated patients suspected of experiencing oropharyngeal dysphagia undergoing FEES at a tertiary care university hospital were prospectively followed up on to assess mortality. The FEES findings, comorbidities, and potential confounders were studied as predictors of death using a Cox multivariate regression analysis. A total of 148 patients were included, 85 of whom were male (57.4%). The mean age (± standard deviation) was 52.7 years (± 22.1). The median of the follow-up time was 4.5 years. The most frequent conditions were stroke in 50 patients (33.8%), brain and spine traumas in 27 (18.2%), and neurodegenerative diseases in 19 (12.8%). Variables associated with mortality in bivariate analyses were age > 65 years (p < 0.001), pneumonia (p = 0.046), aspiration of any consistency (p < 0.001), and pharyngeal residues (p = 0.017). Variables independently associated with mortality in the Cox multivariate model were age (> 65 years) [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 5.76; 95% CI 2.72 to 17.19; p = 0.001] and aspiration (adjusted HR: 3.96; 95% CI 1.82 to 14.64; p = 0.003). Aspiration detected by FEES and an age > 65 years are independent predictors of mortality in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia.

Association between simple evaluation of eating and swallowing function and mortality among patients with advanced dementia in nursing homes: 1-year prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: A simple and predictable method of evaluating eating and swallowing has not been yet established; thus, it is difficult to implement advance care planning according to deterioration in this function. This study aimed to clarify the association between a simple evaluation of eating and swallowing function and 1-year mortality in advanced dementia patients in nursing homes in Japan. METHODS: The study included 325 residents with advanced dementia. In a baseline survey, we examined medical history, physical function, and eating and swallowing function. We recorded mortality for 1 year from baseline. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional regression were performed to investigate the association between the simple evaluation of eating and swallowing function and mortality. RESULTS: Statistical analysis included data from 312 of the 325 residents who had completed the baseline survey (7 individuals with non-oral ingestion and 6 who were alive but did not reside in the nursing home 1 year later were excluded). The participants' mean age was 85.2 years, and 79.5 % of participants were female. At the 1-year follow-up, 70 patients had died. According to Cox proportional regression analysis, age, male gender, history of cerebrovascular disorder, poor results of palpation of masseter muscle tension, and modified water swallowing test were significantly associated with 1-year mortality. CONCLUSION: The results of palpation of masseter muscle tension and modified water swallowing test were associated with 1-year mortality. These routine observations can predict mortality, and may thus provide evidence of the opportunity to implement advance care planning.

Dysphagia and tube feeding after stroke are associated with poorer functional and mortality outcomes.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Stroke is the leading cause of disability in adult life. Oropharyngeal dysphagia occurs in 65-90% of patients, and its identification in the acute phase of stroke can prevent complications. The aim of this study was to verify whether oropharyngeal dysphagia during stroke hospitalization is associated with functional capacity, as assessed by the modified Rankin Scale (mRs), and mortality 90 days after stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study evaluating 201 patients hospitalized in the Stroke Unit was carried out. Dysphagia was evaluated during hospitalization using both a specific protocol to evaluate swallowing biomechanics and the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), in which FOIS 1-3 reflects tube feeding, 4-5 reflects oral feeding requiring food consistency changes, and 6-7 reflects oral feeding with no changes in food consistency. An mRs≥3 at 90 days after discharge was considered disability. The data were adjusted for the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score, sex, age, stroke-associated pneumonia, type of stroke, and presence of thrombolysis. The significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: Of the 201 patients evaluated, 42.8% (86) who had dysphagia were older, had a higher severity of stroke, and pneumonia rate. A FOIS score of 6-7 was a protective factor against disability (mRs≥3) (OR: 0.17; CI: 0.005-0.56; p = 0.004), and tube feeding use at hospital discharge increased the risk of mRs≥3 (OR: 14.97; CI: 2.68-83.65; p = 0.002) and mortality (OR: 9.79; CI: 2.21-43.4; p = 0.003) within 90 days after stroke. Pneumonia was the leading cause of death, however dysphagia and tube feeding at discharge were associated with death from any cause. CONCLUSION: Dysphagia or tube feeding use at discharge are markers of poor prognosis after the first stroke. Our data suggest the importance of early evaluation of dysphagia and closely monitoring the tube fed patients following stroke.

Timing of Direct Enteral Tube Placement and Outcomes after Acute Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Direct enteral feeding tube (DET) placement for dysphagia after stroke is associated with poor outcomes. However, the relationship between timing of DET placement and poststroke mortality and disability is unknown. We sought to determine the risk of mortality and severe disability in patients who receive DET at different times after stroke. METHODS: We used the Ontario Stroke Registry and linked administrative databases to identify patients with acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage between 2003 and 2013 who received DET (gastrostomy or jejunostomy) during their hospital admission. We grouped patients by week of DET placement and evaluated mortality at 30 days and 6 months after DET insertion, and disability at discharge. We used Cox proportional hazard models and multiple logistic regression to determine the association between time from admission to DET placement and outcomes, adjusting for patient and hospital factors. RESULTS: In the study sample of 1367 patients, the median time from admission to DET placement was 17 days. After adjustment, each week of delay to DET placement was associated with lower mortality at 30 days (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] .88, 95% confidence interval [CI] .79-.98), but not at 6 months (aHR .98, 95% CI .91- 1.05), and a higher likelihood of severe disability at discharge (adjusted odds ratio 1.35, 95% CI 1.13- 1.60). CONCLUSIONS: Later DET placement after stroke was associated with lower 30-day mortality but higher severe disability at discharge. Further research is needed to understand the reasons for these observations and to optimize patient selection and timing of DET.

Dysphagia Score as a Predictor of Adverse Events Due to Triplet Chemotherapy and Oncological Outcomes in 434 Consecutive Patients with Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Dysphagia is a major symptom of esophageal cancer (EC) that significantly affects patient quality of life; however, little is known regarding its clinical impact on the treatment course in patients with EC. METHODS: This retrospective study included 434 consecutive patients with EC who received docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) chemotherapy as an initial treatment. We evaluated the relationships between the dysphagia score at diagnosis and clinicopathological factors, including DCF therapy-related adverse events, tumor response, and survival. RESULTS: The dysphagia scores were 0 in 208 patients (47.9%), 1 in 82 patients (18.9%), 2 in 52 patients (12.0%), 3 in 59 patients (13.6%), and 4 in 33 patients (7.6%). High (≥ 3) dysphagia scores were significantly associated with high incidences of grade 3/4 febrile neutropenia (FN) (79.3 vs. 35.7%, P < 0.001) and diarrhea (63.0 vs. 28.1%, P < 0.001) compared with low (≤ 2) scores. Logistic regression analysis further identified the dysphagia scores as an independent predictor of both FN and severe diarrhea during DCF chemotherapy. Furthermore, compared with low scores, high dysphagia scores were associated with a worse clinical response to chemotherapy (response rate 65.2 vs. 78.7%, P = 0.008) and worse 5-year overall survival (35.4 vs. 56.4%, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The dysphagia score at diagnosis was an independent predictor of FN and severe diarrhea. Furthermore, this score might be useful in predicting chemotherapy response and long-term survival in patients treated with DCF.

Nutritional prognostic factors for survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients undergone percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement.

Objective: There are conflicting data on nutritional factors influencing survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement. We performed an observational cross-sectional study evaluating body mass index (BMI) categories and cholesterol levels as prognostic factors for survival after PEG. Moreover, we assessed body composition in a subgroup of patients to better explain the influence of BMI on survival. Methods: Neurological and nutritional parameters were evaluated at the time of PEG implantation in 47 consecutive patients. Moreover, body composition was evaluated in a subgroup of 22 patients by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Survival was calculated as the time from the PEG placement to death. Results: Underweight patients had a significantly increased risk of death as compared to normal-weight patients using Cox regression analysis [HR = 3.37 (1.29-8.81); p = 0.04]. Similarly, older age at the onset of symptoms significantly increased the risk of death [HR = 1.07 (1.02-1.12); p = 0.001]. Neither overweight/obesity nor hypercholesterolemia affected survival. All ALS patients showed an altered body composition compared to the general population. In addition, a BMI <18.5 kg/m2 identified patients with a significant reduction of body cell mass (BCM) and phase angle (PhA) compared to patients with normal BMI taken as the reference value. Conclusions: In the later stages of the disease, only a BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 and older age at symptom onset had a prognostic value on survival. Dyslipidemia did not affect survival. The low BCM and PhA characterizing underweight patients support the role of BMI as a predictor of survival.

Association Between Postextubation Dysphagia and Long-Term Mortality Among Critically Ill Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Dysphagia following extubation is common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Diagnosing postextubation dysphagia allows identification of patients who are at highest risk for aspiration and its associated adverse outcomes. Older adults are at an increased risk of postextubation dysphagia and its complications due to multiple comorbidities, a higher baseline risk of dysphagia, and increased risk of pneumonia. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the association between postextubation dysphagia and 1-year mortality in older patients. Secondary outcomes included ICU and hospital lengths of stay, ICU readmission, and place of discharge. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study from January 1 to December 31, 2013. ICU patients, aged 65 years and older, who were successfully extubated and underwent a formal swallow evaluation by a speech and language pathologist (SLP) were included. Dysphagia was graded using a seven-point scale, and those with at least mild-moderate dysphagia were labeled as having clinically significant dysphagia. RESULTS: Of 1075 patients who were screened, 359 were survivors, aged 65 years and older; and of these survivors, 111 had a swallow evaluation performed by an SLP after liberation from mechanical ventilation. Mean age was 73.8 years (SD = 7.0 years), and 41.4% had clinically significant dysphagia. In a multivariable regression model, there was no significant association between dysphagia and 1-year mortality. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in ICU or hospital length of stay, ICU readmission, or place of discharge of those with clinically significant dysphagia compared to those without. CONCLUSIONS: Among mechanically ventilated ICU patients, aged 65 years and older, who underwent a swallow evaluation following extubation, dysphagia was not associated with mortality, ICU and hospital lengths of stay, ICU readmission, and place of discharge. Given conflicting evidence in the literature, larger prospective studies are needed to clarify whether postextubation dysphagia is associated with worse outcomes in older patients admitted to the ICU. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:1895-1901, 2019.

Outcomes following feeding gastrostomy (FG) insertion in patients with learning disability: a retrospective cohort study using the health improvement network (THIN) database.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the rates of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and mortality following feeding gastrostomy (FG) placement in patients with learning disability (LD). Following this to compare these rates between those having LRTI prior to FG placement and those with no recent LRTI. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The study population included patients with LD undergoing FG placement in the 'The Health Improvement Network' database. Patients with LRTI in the year prior (LYP) to their FG placement were compared with patients without a history of LRTI in the year prior (non-LYP) to FG placement. FG placement and LD were identified using Read codes previously developed by an expert panel. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence rate ratio (IRR) of developing LRTI and mortality following FG, comparing patients with LRTI in the year prior to FG placement to patients without a history of LRTI. RESULTS: 214 patients with LD had a FG inserted including 743.4 person years follow-up. 53.7% were males and the median age was 27.6 (IQR 19.6 to 38.6) years. 27.1% were in the LYP patients. 18.7% had a LRTI in the year following FG, with an estimated incidence rate of 254 per 1000-person years. Over the study period the incidence rate of LRTI in LYP patients was 369 per 1000-person years, in non-LYP patients this was 91 per 1000-person years (adjusted IRR 4.21 (95% CI 2.68 to 6.63) p<0.001). 27.1% of patients died during study follow-up. Incidence rate of death was 80 and 45 per 1000-person year for LYP and non-LYP patients, respectively (adjusted IRR 1.80 (1.00 to 3.23) p=0.05). CONCLUSION: In LD patients, no clinically meaningful reduction in LRTI incidence was observed following FG placement. Mortality and LRTI were higher in patients with at least one LRTI in the year preceding FG placement, compared with those without a preceding LRTI.

Factors associated with overall survival and relief of dysphagia in advanced esophageal cancer patients after 125I seed-loaded stent placement: a multicenter retrospective analysis.

Iodine-125 (125I) seed-loaded stent placement has served as an effective palliation for malignant esophageal strictures in China. We performed a retrospective study to identify the prognostic factors of this irradiation stent placement in advanced esophageal cancer patients. A total of 201 patients who underwent 125I seed-loaded stent placement were included in this study from June 2012 to March 2016 at five hospitals in China. The Cox regression models adjusted for stratification factors were used, and a stepwise multivariate analysis was performed to predict the overall survival and relief of dysphagia on the basis of pretreatment clinical characteristics, respectively. Three independent prognostic factors were identified for overall survival: histopathological subtype (squamous cell carcinoma vs. adenocarcinoma, hazard ratio [HR] 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI95%]: 1.01-2.09, P = 0.046), serum total protein (≥66 g/L vs. <66 g/L, HR 0.61, CI95%: 0.48-0.59, P = 0.023), and performance status (<2 vs. ≥2, HR 1.57, CI95%: 1.09-2.08, P = 0.013). Four factors were significantly associated with the relief of dysphagia: T stage (T3 vs. T4, P = 0.003), tumor location (superior vs. inferior, P = 0.049), tumor-node-metastasis classification (IV vs. II, P = 0.025), and age (≥71 years vs. <71 years, P = 0.029). Prognostic factors identified from this analysis can be used to aid clinical decision-making and design future clinical trials.

The Mortality and the Risk of Aspiration Pneumonia Related with Dysphagia in Stroke Patients.

BACKGROUND: Dysphagia may result in poor outcomes in stroke patients due to aspiration pneumonia and malnutrition. GOAL: The aim of the study was to investigate aspiration pneumonia and the mortality rate in stroke patients with dysphagia in Taiwan. METHODS: We selected 1220 stroke patients, divided them into dysphagia and nondysphagia groups, and matched them according to age; covariates and comediations from 2000 to 2005 were identified from the NHIRD 2000 database. The date of the diagnosed stroke for each patient was defined as the index date. All patients were tracked for 5 years following their index visit to evaluate mortality and the risk of aspiration pneumonia. We estimated the adjusted hazard ratio using Cox proportional hazard regression. RESULTS: Within 1 year, the dysphagia group was 4.69 times more likely to develop aspiration pneumonia than the nondysphagia group (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 4.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.83-7.77; P < .001). The highest significant risk of aspiration pneumonia was in the cerebral hemorrhage patients within 3 years of the index visit (aHR, 5.04; 95% CI 1.45-17.49; P = .011). The 5-year mortality rate in the dysphagia group was significantly higher than that in the nondysphagia group (aHR, 1.84; 95% CI 1.57-2.16; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Dysphagia is a critical factor in aspiration pneumonia and mortality in stroke patients. Early detection and intervention of dysphagia in stroke patients may reduce the possibility of aspiration pneumonia.

Involvement of swallowing therapy is associated with improved long-term survival in patients with post-stroke dysphagia.

BACKGROUND: The effects of swallowing therapy (ST) on long-term clinical outcomes in patients with post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) remain unclear. AIM: This study explores the effect of ST, initiated within 6 months of the stroke onset, on long-term pneumonia-free and overall survival rates in PSD patients. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. POPULATION: The study included 2994 eligible PSD patients between 2005 and 2013. METHODS: Among the scrutinized PSD patients, ST was initiated during the nasogastric intubation (NGI) period and was implemented by physician discretion. Therefore, subjects who underwent ST were classified into the ST-intervention (STI) group and those without ST were classified into the non-ST (NST) group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match age, sex, pneumonia events during the NGI period, the Charlson comorbidity index, and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale between the two groups. We started to follow all selected PSD patients 6 months after the onset of stroke for four years. Multivariable adjusted Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier estimations were conducted to assess the effects of ST and the ST duration on pneumonia-free and overall survival. RESULTS: Overall, 1497 PSD patients aged approximately 68 years in each group were selected in this study. The pneumonia-free survival rate in STI subjects was 57.4% and was significantly greater (P=0.003) than that (54.2%) in NST subjects during the follow-up (F/U). A significantly improved (P<0.0001) overall survival rate was observed in STI subjects (75.0%) compared to NST subjects (63.7%) during the F/U. In STI subjects, ST duration ≥ 1 month was significantly (P=0.009) associated with reduced pneumonia incidence compared to those with ST duration<1 month. CONCLUSIONS: Participation of ST within 6 months of the stroke onset is associated with decreased pneumonia incidence and improved long-term survival in selected PSD patients. In the selected STI subjects, longer ST duration may be valuable in pneumonia prevention. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: This study reveals that ST initiated within 6 months of the stroke onset may be associated with improved long-term survival in selected PSD patients.

Swallowing therapy for dysphagia in acute and subacute stroke.

BACKGROUND: Dysphagia (swallowing problems), which is common after stroke, is associated with increased risk of death or dependency, occurrence of pneumonia, poor quality of life, and longer hospital stay. Treatments provided to improve dysphagia are aimed at accelerating recovery of swallowing function and reducing these risks. This is an update of the review first published in 1999 and updated in 2012. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of swallowing therapy on death or dependency among stroke survivors with dysphagia within six months of stroke onset. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register (26 June 2018), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2018, Issue 6) in the Cochrane Library (searched 26 June 2018), MEDLINE (26 June 2018), Embase (26 June 2018), the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) (26 June 2018), Web of Science Core Collection (26 June 2018), SpeechBITE (28 June 2016), ClinicalTrials.Gov (26 June 2018), and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (26 June 2018). We also searched Google Scholar (7 June 2018) and the reference lists of relevant trials and review articles. SELECTION CRITERIA: We sought to include randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions for people with dysphagia and recent stroke (within six months). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently applied the inclusion criteria, extracted data, assessed risk of bias, used the GRADE approach to assess the quality of evidence, and resolved disagreements through discussion with the third review author (PB). We used random-effects models to calculate odds ratios (ORs), mean differences (MDs), and standardised mean differences (SMDs), and provided 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each.The primary outcome was functional outcome, defined as death or dependency (or death or disability), at the end of the trial. Secondary outcomes were case fatality at the end of the trial, length of inpatient stay, proportion of participants with dysphagia at the end of the trial, swallowing ability, penetration aspiration score, or pneumonia, pharyngeal transit time, institutionalisation, and nutrition. MAIN RESULTS: We added 27 new studies (1777 participants) to this update to include a total of 41 trials (2660 participants).We assessed the efficacy of swallowing therapy overall and in subgroups by type of intervention: acupuncture (11 studies), behavioural interventions (nine studies), drug therapy (three studies), neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES; six studies), pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES; four studies), physical stimulation (three studies), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS; two studies), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS; nine studies).Swallowing therapy had no effect on the primary outcome (death or dependency/disability at the end of the trial) based on data from one trial (two data sets) (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.75; 306 participants; 2 studies; I² = 0%; P = 0.86; moderate-quality evidence). Swallowing therapy had no effect on case fatality at the end of the trial (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.52; 766 participants; 14 studies; I² = 6%; P = 0.99; moderate-quality evidence). Swallowing therapy probably reduced length of inpatient stay (MD -2.9, 95% CI -5.65 to -0.15; 577 participants; 8 studies; I² = 11%; P = 0.04; moderate-quality evidence). Researchers found no evidence of a subgroup effect based on testing for subgroup differences (P = 0.54). Swallowing therapy may have reduced the proportion of participants with dysphagia at the end of the trial (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.55; 1487 participants; 23 studies; I² = 0%; P = 0.00001; low-quality evidence). Trial results show no evidence of a subgroup effect based on testing for subgroup differences (P = 0.91). Swallowing therapy may improve swallowing ability (SMD -0.66, 95% CI -1.01 to -0.32; 1173 participants; 26 studies; I² = 86%; P = 0.0002; very low-quality evidence). We found no evidence of a subgroup effect based on testing for subgroup differences (P = 0.09). We noted moderate to substantial heterogeneity between trials for these interventions. Swallowing therapy did not reduce the penetration aspiration score (i.e. it did not reduce radiological aspiration) (SMD -0.37, 95% CI -0.74 to -0.00; 303 participants; 11 studies; I² = 46%; P = 0.05; low-quality evidence). Swallowing therapy may reduce the incidence of chest infection or pneumonia (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.78; 618 participants; 9 studies; I² = 59%; P = 0.009; very low-quality evidence). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Moderate- and low-quality evidence suggests that swallowing therapy did not have a significant effect on the outcomes of death or dependency/disability, case fatality at the end of the trial, or penetration aspiration score. However, swallowing therapy may have reduced length of hospital stay, dysphagia, and chest infections, and may have improved swallowing ability. However, these results are based on evidence of variable quality, involving a variety of interventions. Further high-quality trials are needed to test whether specific interventions are effective.

Asociación de un cribado positivo para disfagia con el estado nutricional y la mortalidad a largo plazo en pacientes ancianos hospitalizados / Association of positive screening for dysphagia with nutritional status and long-term mortality in hospitalized elderly patients

Objetivos: Evaluar la prevalencia de disfagia orofaríngea (DO) mediante el Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) y su asociación con desnutrición y mortalidad a largo plazo. Material y métodos: Estudio de cohortes retrospectivo de pacientes hospitalizados en medicina interna. En las primeras 48h del ingreso de los pacientes se evaluó la DO mediante el test EAT-10 y la presencia de desnutrición con el Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF). Se estudió la asociación de la presencia de DO con la desnutrición y la mortalidad a largo plazo. Resultados: Se incluyeron 90 pacientes con una edad media de 83 (DE: 11,74) años. El 56,7% (n=51) presentaron riesgo de DO según EAT-10. Este grupo de pacientes presentó mayores prevalencias de desnutrición (88,2% vs. 48,7%; p=0,001) y mortalidad (70% vs 35,9%; p=0,001). Durante un seguimiento de 872,71 (DE: 642,89) días el riesgo de DO según EAT-10 fue un factor predictivo independiente de mortalidad en análisis multivariante (HR: 2,8; IC95%: 1,49-5,28; p=0,001). Conclusiones: El test EAT-10 es una herramienta útil en el cribado de la DO. Es importante realizar un cribado adecuado de DO debido a los riesgos asociados de desnutrición y mortalidad a largo plazo que conlleva

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) using the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) and its association with malnutrition and long-term mortality. Material and methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to the general internal medicine ward. In the first 48hours after hospital admission, OD was assessed using the EAT-10, and presence of malnutrition with the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF). Association of OD to malnutrition and long-term mortality was analyzed. Results: Ninety patients with a mean age of 83 (SD: 11.8) years were enrolled. Of these, 56.7% were at risk of OD according to EAT-10. This group of patients had greater prevalence rates of malnutrition (88.2% vs. 48.7%; P=.001) and mortality (70% vs 35.9%; P=.001). During follow-up for 872.71 (SD: 642.89) days, risk of DO according to EAT-10 was an independent predictor of mortality factor in a multivariate analysis (HR: 2.8; 95%CI: 1.49-5.28; P=.001). Conclusions: The EAT-10 is a useful tool for screening OD. Adequate screening for OD is important because of its associated risks of malnutrition and long-term mortality

The Impact of Dysphagia on Mortality of Nursing Home Residents: Results From the nutritionDay Project.

OBJECTIVES: Dysphagia is a frequent finding in nursing home residents. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association of dysphagia and mortality in nursing home residents and identify further risk factors for mortality in residents with dysphagia. DESIGN: One-day, annually repeated cross-sectional study, evaluating the nutritional situation of nursing home residents with 6-month mortality as outcome. SETTING: 191 nursing homes from 14 countries in Europe and the United States participating in the nutritionDay study between 2007 and 2012. PARTICIPANTS: Data of all nursing home residents in the nutritionDay study aged 65 years or older with available information about dysphagia and outcome were analyzed. MEASUREMENTS: Residents' characteristics and mortality rate were calculated by group comparison, and mortality risk was calculated by multivariate regression analysis with adjustment for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: 10,185 residents (78% female) with a mean age of 85 ± 8.1 years were included in the analysis. Dysphagia was reported in 15.4% of residents. The 6-month mortality of residents with dysphagia was significantly higher than of those without dysphagia (24.7% vs 11.9%; P < .001). The multivariate regression analysis revealed dysphagia [odds ratio (OR) 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24-1.68, P < .001] along with body mass index <20 (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.55-2.03, P < .001) and weight loss >5 kg (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.37-1.88, P < .001) as independent and significant risk factors for mortality. Because of significant interaction, a disproportionately high mortality of 38.9% was found in residents with dysphagia accompanied by previous weight loss >5 kg (OR for interaction 1.44; 95% CI 1.03-2.01; P = .032). Tube feeding was reported in 14.6% of residents with dysphagia. The mortality rate of dysphagic residents receiving tube feeding vs those who were not was not significantly different (21.4% vs 25.3%; P = .244). CONCLUSION: In this nutritionDay study, dysphagia was identified as an independent risk factor for mortality in nursing home residents. Residents with dysphagia accompanied by weight loss are at a particularly high risk of mortality and should therefore receive special attention.