Comparing videofluoroscopy and endoscopy to assess swallowing in bottle-fed young infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of videofluoroscopy (VFSS) and endoscopy (FEES) in detecting laryngeal penetration and tracheal aspiration in bottle-fed young infants in the NICU. STUDY DESIGN: VFSS and FEES findings of 22 infants were compared to each other and to a composite reference standard in this prospective study. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated for each assessment. RESULT: Agreement between VFSS and FEES was high (92%) for aspiration and moderate (56%) for penetration, with FEES detecting more instances of penetration. Compared to the composite reference standard, FEES had greater sensitivity and a higher negative predictive value for penetration than VFSS. Because of the low prevalence of aspiration, diagnostic accuracy could not be determined for aspiration for either assessment. CONCLUSION: FEES appears to be more accurate in detecting penetration in this population, and both assessments are valuable tools in a comprehensive feeding and swallowing evaluation.