Use of Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study in Patients with Aspiration Pneumonia.
10.5535/arm.2012.36.6.785
- Author:
Seunglee PARK
1
;
Jin Youn LEE
;
Heeyoune JUNG
;
Seong Eun KOH
;
In Sik LEE
;
Kwang Ha YOO
;
Seung Ah LEE
;
Jongmin LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul 143-701, Korea. leej@kuh.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Aspiration pneumonia;
Dysphagia
- MeSH:
Aged;
Brain Diseases;
Deglutition;
Deglutition Disorders;
Diabetes Mellitus;
Emergencies;
Humans;
Korea;
Liver;
Male;
Medical Records;
Pneumonia, Aspiration;
Retrospective Studies
- From:Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine
2012;36(6):785-790
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics of dysphagic elderly Korean patients diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia as well as to examine the necessity of performing a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) in order to confirm the presence of dysphagia in such patients. METHOD: The medical records of dysphagic elderly Korean subjects diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia were retrospectively reviewed for demographic and clinical characteristics as well as for VFSS findings. RESULTS: In total, medical records of 105 elderly patients (81 men and 24 women) were reviewed in this study. Of the 105 patients, 82.9% (n=87) were admitted via the emergency department, and 41.0% (n=43) were confined to a bed. Eighty percent (n=84) of the 105 patients were diagnosed with brain disorders, and 68.6% (n=72) involved more than one systemic disease, such as diabetes mellitus, cancers, chronic cardiopulmonary disorders, chronic renal disorders, and chronic liver disorders. Only 66.7% (n=70) of the 105 patients underwent VFSS, all of which showed abnormal findings during the oral or pharyngeal phase, or both. CONCLUSION: In this study, among 105 dysphagic elderly patients with aspiration pneumonia, only 66.7% (n=70) underwent VFSS in order to confirm the presence of dysphagia. As observed in this study, the evaluation of dysphagia is essential in order to consider elderly patients with aspiration pneumonia, particularly in patients with poor functional status, brain disorders, or more than one systemic disease. A greater awareness of dysphagia in the elderly, as well as the diagnostic procedures thereof, particularly VFSS, is needed among medical professionals in Korea.
