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BACKGROUND & AIMS: Prevalence and complications of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) and malnutrition (MN) in COVID-19 patients is unknown. Our aim was to assess the prevalence, risk factors and clinical outcomes of OD and MN in a general hospital during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational study involving clinical assessment of OD (Volume-Viscosity Swallowing Test), and nutritional screening (NRS2002) and assessment (GLIM criteria) in COVID-19 patients hospitalized in general wards at the Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Catalonia, Spain. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients were assessed at pre-admission, admission and discharge, and after 3 and 6-months follow-up. RESULTS: We included 205 consecutive patients (69.28 ± 17.52 years, Charlson 3.74 ± 2.62, mean hospital stay 16.8 ± 13.0 days). At admission, Barthel Index was 81.3 ± 30.3; BMI 28.5 ± 5.4 kg/m2; OD prevalence 51.7% (44.1% impaired safety of swallow); and 45.5% developed MN with a mean weight loss of 10.1 ± 5.0 kg during hospitalization. OD was an independent risk factor for MN during hospitalization (OR 3.96 [1.45-10.75]), and hospitalization was prolonged in patients with MN compared with those without (21.9 ± 14.8 vs 11.9 ± 8.9 days, respectively; p

The prevalence of older patients with dementia and oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is rising and management is poor. Our aim was to assess the prevalence, risk factors, and long-term nutritional and respiratory complications during follow-up of OD in older demented patients. We designed a prospective longitudinal quasi-experimental study with 255 patients with dementia. OD was assessed with the Volume-Viscosity Swallowing Test and a geriatric evaluation was performed. OD patients received compensatory treatments based on fluid viscosity and texture modified foods and oral hygiene, and were followed up for 18 months after discharge. Mean age was 83.5 &plusmn, 8.0 years and Alzheimer&rsquo, s disease was the main cause of dementia (52.9%). The prevalence of OD was 85.9%. Up to 82.7% patients with OD required fluid thickening and 93.6% texture modification, with poor compliance. OD patients were older (p &lt, 0.007), had worse functionality (p &lt, 0.0001), poorer nutritional status (p = 0.014), and higher severity of dementia (p &lt, 0.001) than those without OD and showed higher rates of respiratory infections (p = 0.011) and mortality (p = 0.0002) after 18 months follow-up. These results show that OD is very prevalent among patients with dementia and is associated with impaired functionality, malnutrition, respiratory infections, and increased mortality. New nutritional strategies should be developed to increase the compliance and therapeutic effects for this growing population of dysphagic patients.