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Objective: The sequential generation of swallowing pressure (SP) from the nasopharynx to the proximal esophagus is important for the bolus to pass from the oral cavity to the esophagus. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of the SP sequence mode on high-resolution manometry (HRM) with oral intake difficulty and aspiration pneumonia., Methods: Consecutive patients with dysphagia who were admitted to our dysphagia clinic between November 2016 and November 2020 were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. We classified the HRM pressure topography data according to the SP sequence mode into type A, normal; B, partially decreased; C, totally decreased; and D, sequence disappeared, and according to the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) during pharyngeal swallowing into type 1, flattening and 2, non-flattening. Clinical dysphagia severity was determined based on oral intake difficulty and aspiration pneumonia., Results: In total, 202 patients with dysphagia (mean [standard deviation] age, 68.3 [14.5] years; 140 [69.8%] male) were enrolled. Type C (odds ratio [OR], 10.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.89-51.45), type D (OR, 19.90; 95% CI, 4.18-122.35), and type 2 (OR, 6.36; 95% CI, 2.88-14.57) were significantly related to oral intake difficulty. Type C (OR, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.08-11.12) and type 2 (OR, 4.18; 95% CI, 1.95-9.15) were significantly associated with aspiration pneumonia., Conclusion: The failure of sequential generation of SP was associated with higher risk of oral intake difficulty and aspiration pneumonia. These assessments are useful in understanding the pathophysiology and severity of dysphagia and in selecting safety nutritional management methods., Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 134:2127-2135, 2024., (© 2023 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

After a stroke, most patients have dysphagia, which can lead to aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and adverse functional outcomes. Protective interventions aimed at reducing these complications remain the cornerstone of treatment. Dietary adjustments and oral hygiene help mitigate the risk of aspiration pneumonia, and nutritional supplementation, including tube feeding, might be needed to prevent malnutrition. Rehabilitative interventions aim to enhance swallowing function, with different behavioural strategies showing promise in small studies. Investigations have explored the use of pharmaceutical agents such as capsaicin and other Transient-Receptor-Potential-Vanilloid-1 (TRPV-1) sensory receptor agonists, which alter sensory perception in the pharynx. Neurostimulation techniques, such as transcranial direct current stimulation, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, and pharyngeal electrical stimulation, might promote neuroplasticity within the sensorimotor swallowing network. Further advancements in the understanding of central and peripheral sensorimotor mechanisms in patients with dysphagia after a stroke, and during their recovery, will contribute to optimising treatment protocols., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests BL received a research grant from the medical faculty of the University of Muenster, received financial support from Clexio Bioscience for a study on medication dysphagia in Parkinson's disease, received a research-award from the German Society for Geriatrics/Rolf and Hubertine Schiffbauer Foundation, and received travel support from the German Neurological Society and the United European Gastroenterology. MTG received payment for expert testimony from Phagenesis for involvement in a study as a reviewer of Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing-videos. SSK was supported by an endowed professorship from the Else Kröner Fresenius Stiftung. PMB received support from Phagenesis Ltd (provision of devices for National Institute for Health & Care Research Health Technology Assessment-funded PhEAST trial), and received consulting fees from Phagenesis as member of the advisory board. RD received consulting fees from Daiichi Sankyo and Pfizer; received honoraria for lectures from Daiichi Sankyo, Pfizer, and Alexion; received honoraria from Phagenesis paid to the University Hospital Muenster for participating in the steering committees of different trials; and received reimbursement of travel expenses as a board member of the European Society for Swallowing Disorders and as a board member of the German Dysphagia Society. The other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To evaluate oral frailty features present in hospitalized older patients with aspiration pneumonia., Methods: We enrolled hospitalized patients aged ≥50 years and classified them into three groups: the community-acquired, aspiration, and non-community-acquired pneumonia groups. Oral frailty was defined as meeting three or more criteria from the following: choking, and decreased occlusal force, masticatory function, tongue-lip motor function, tongue pressure, and tongue pressure during swallowing., Results: Of 168 patients enrolled, the incidence of aspiration pneumonia was 23.9% (17/71) in patients admitted with pneumonia as the primary diagnosis. The occlusal force and masticatory function were significantly poorer and tongue pressure and tongue pressure during swallowing were significantly lower in the aspiration pneumonia group than in the other two groups. A higher number of chronic comorbidities, poor oral health, and lower tongue pressure during swallowing were significantly associated with aspiration pneumonia. A tongue pressure during swallowing of <10.32 kPa might be a cutoff point for predicting the risk of aspiration pneumonia., Conclusions: Hospitalized patients aged ≥50 years with multiple comorbidities, poor oral hygiene, and oral frailty during swallowing are at a higher risk of developing aspiration pneumonia, especially when their tongue pressure during swallowing is <10.32 kPa. Aspiration pneumonia is a preventable disease. Healthcare professionals should incorporate tongue pressure measurements or other screening tools into routine clinical practice to facilitate the early detection of this condition and intervention. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 351-357., (© 2023 Japan Geriatrics Society.)

Aim: To clarify whether the Whitney Comorbidity Index (WCI) is useful in Asian adults with cerebral palsy (CP) and whether aspiration pneumonia and pressure ulcers improved the prognostic significance of the WCI., Method: This cohort study evaluated individuals aged at least 18 years with CP in Japan. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to analyse 2-year mortality rates. The predictive performance of the Charlson Comorbidity Index, Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, and WCI were compared as comorbidity assessment criteria. Aspiration pneumonia and pressure ulcers were added to the Cox models, and their impact on hazard ratios was determined., Results: Of the 2232 adults with CP, 72 died during the 2 years. The model with a previously reported weighted WCI with aspiration pneumonia and pressure ulcers produced the best fit. Additionally, the hazard risk of 2-year mortality for an unweighted WCI score of at least 4 was 2.56; when CP-specific comorbidities were added, it increased to 8.94., Interpretation: This study showed that the WCI can be used in Asian adults with CP. Furthermore, assessing patient age, aspiration pneumonia, and pressure ulcers in addition to the WCI increased the predictive value for mortality. Our findings indicate that the WCI can promote valid comparisons between international populations., What This Paper Adds: The Whitney Comorbidity Index (WCI) is useful among adults with cerebral palsy, irrespective of ethnic differences. Assessment of aspiration pneumonia and pressure ulcers increased the WCI predictive value. The WCI helps identify adults with cerebral palsy at risk of adverse outcomes., (© 2023 Mac Keith Press.)

Objectives: To investigate the impact of early swallowing assessment and rehabilitation on the total oral intake and in-hospital mortality in patients with aspiration pneumonia., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients with aspiration admitted between September 1, 2015, and October 31, 2016. The inclusion criterion was total oral intake before admission. A new protocol-based intervention for appropriate early oral intake was implemented on April 1, 2016. The protocol consisted of two steps. First, a screening test was conducted on the day of admission to detect patients who were not at high risk of dysphagia. Second, patients underwent a modified water swallowing test and water swallowing test. Patients cleared by these tests immediately initiated oral intake. The primary outcome, the composite outcomes of no recovery to total oral intake at discharge, and in-hospital mortality were compared between the patients admitted pre- and post protocol intervention., Results: A total of 188 patients were included in the analysis (pre-, 92; post-, 96). The primary outcome did not differ between the pre- and post-intervention periods (23/92 [25.0%] vs. 18/96 [18.8%], p = 0.30). After adjusting for other variables, the intervention was significantly associated with a lower risk of composite outcomes (odds ratio, 0.22, 95%CI, 0.08-0.61, p = 0.004)., Conclusion: The new protocol for early swallowing assessment, rehabilitation, and promotion of oral intake in patients admitted with aspiration pneumonia may be associated with the lower risk for the composite outcomes of in-hospital mortality and no recovery to total oral intake., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Otaka et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Hyponatremia due to water intoxication is frequently observed in patients with chronic schizophrenia. We herein present a 49-year-old man who developed schizophrenia at the age of 23 and had been admitted to the closed ward of our hospital for 7 years. He was found by a round nurse standing at the bedside, covering both ears with his hands and making groaning noises. He was disoriented and immediately after being returned to bed, a general tonic-clonic seizure occurred. Severe hyponatremia (Na 104 mEq/L) was noted and intravenous sodium correction was started. A few hours later, due to glossoptosis and massive vomiting, ventilation got worse to the point where he had to be put on a ventilator. On the following day, he developed aspiration pneumonia and antimicrobial treatment was started. In addition, a blood sample taken 36 hours later revealed an extensive elevation of creatine kinase (41,286 U/L), pointing to a possibility of rhabdomyolysis as a complication. Subsequently, the general condition gradually improved with antimicrobial therapy and sodium correction. He eventually recovered without any complications including central pontine myelinolysis. He had no history of polydipsia before this event but it was later found that esophageal stricture triggered complusive fluid intake, resulting in acute hyponatremia, seizure, aspiration pneumonia and rhabdomyolysis. A brief discussion will be provided on the issues surrounding hyponatremia, rhabdomyolysis and schizophrenia., (Copyright © 1964–2023 by MedWorks Media Inc, Los Angeles, CA All rights reserved. Printed in the United States.)

Background:  There is a lack of prospective research in South Africa's speech therapy private sector, specifically, in the acute stroke population. There is a need to understand the quality of speech therapy services and outcomes post-stroke in the private sector., Objectives:  This prospective cohort study investigated associations between speech, language, and swallowing conditions (i.e. dysarthria, apraxia of speech, aphasia, dysphagia), and outcomes post-stroke (i.e. length of hospital stay [LOS], degree of physical disability according to the Modified Rankin Scale [mRS], functional level of oral intake according to the Functional Oral Intake Scale [FOIS], dehydration, weight loss, aspiration pneumonia, mortality)., Method:  A prospective design was used to determine the incidence of speech, language, and swallowing conditions post-stroke. Convenience sampling was used to select participants (N = 68). Various statistical tests were used and the alpha level was set at Bonferroni correction p  0.01., Results:  Co-occurring speech, language, and swallowing conditions frequently occurred post-stroke (88%). Participants who were referred to speech therapy later than 24 h post-admission (52.94%) stayed in hospital for a median of 3 days longer than those who were referred within 24 h (p = 0.042). Dysphagia was significantly associated with moderate to severe physical disability (p  0.01). Dysphagia with aspiration was significantly associated with poor functional level of oral intake, at admission and at discharge (p  0.01). At discharge, aspiration pneumonia was significantly associated with severe physical disability (p  0.01, r = 0.70)., Conclusion:  In South Africa's private sector, co-occurring speech, language, and swallowing conditions commonly occurred post-stroke, and dysphagia was strongly associated with physical disability and poor functional level of oral intake. Length of hospital stay was increased by delayed speech therapy referrals.Contribution: This article contributes data on speech therapy services, communication and swallowing disorders post-stroke, and outcomes in South Africa's private sector.

Objective: Head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment causes dysphagia, which may lead to aspiration pneumonia (AP). Thickened fluids are widely used to prevent aspiration in patients with dysphagia; however, there is little evidence that they can prevent AP. This study aimed to clarify the differences between restriction of oral intake of fluids (R), only thickened fluids (TF), and no restriction of fluids (NR) for AP in patients with dysphagia after HNC treatment., Methods: We retrospectively studied 654 patients with dysphagia after HNC surgery between 2012 and 2021. Of these, 255 had some restriction of fluids. The development of possible AP and administration of antibacterial drugs were used as outcomes. Multivariate linear regression and propensity score matching analyses were performed., Results: The mean patient age was 64 ± 13, 67 ± 11, and 68 ± 10 years, while the Dynamic Imaging Grade of Swallowing Toxicity score 3-4 was 2.8%, 27.5, and 53.3%% water in NR, TF, and R groups, respectively. AP was diagnosed or suspected after starting oral intake in 37 (9.3%), 11 patients (15.9%), and 45 (17.6%) and antibacterial drugs were administered in 11 (2.8%), 7 patients (10.1%), and 25 (9.8%) in NR, TF, and R groups, respectively. R and TF had significant negative impacts on AP., Conclusions: Fluid restrictions may not reduce the risk of AP or affect the administration of antibacterial drugs. Medical staff should bear in mind that fluid restrictions do not necessarily prevent AP in patients with HNC., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives: To elucidate the incidence and risk factors for pneumonia after acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI)., Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Spinal injuries center in Japan. Participants: Of 184 individuals who were admitted within 2 weeks after acute traumatic cervical spinal injuries, 167 individuals who met the criteria were included in this study. Interventions: The occurrence of pneumonia, degree of dysphagia using the Dysphagia Severity Scale, patient age, history of smoking, presence of tracheostomy, vital capacity, level of injury, and the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) 2 weeks after injury were assessed. Outcomes: Incidence of pneumonia were analyzed. Moreover, the risk factors of pneumonia were evaluated using logistic regression analysis., Results: From the 167 individuals who met the criteria, 30 individuals (18%) had pneumonia; in 26 (87%) of these individuals, pneumonia was aspiration related, defined as Dysphagia Severity Scale ≤ 4. The median occurrence of aspiration pneumonia was 11.5 days after injury. A logistic regression analysis revealed that severe AIS and severe Dysphagia Severity Scale scores were significant risk factors of pneumonia after CSCI., Conclusions: It was highly likely that the pneumonias following CSCI were related to aspiration based on the Dysphagia Severity Scale. In addition, most of the patients developed aspiration pneumonia within 1 month after injury. Aspiration and severe paralysis were significant risk factors for pneumonia. The treatment of dysphagia in the acute phase should be considered an important indicator to prevent pneumonia.

Objective (s): Children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) are at higher risk of respiratory insufficiency during respiratory illness. We aimed to investigate whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased morbidity among children with BPD hospitalized with acute respiratory illnesses., Study Design: Hospital discharge records were obtained from the Kid's Inpatient Database for children <21 years of age with BPD hospitalized for acute respiratory illness between 1997 and 2012. Acute respiratory illnesses included bacterial and/or viral pneumonia, bronchiolitis, acute upper respiratory tract infections, aspiration pneumonia, or asthma exacerbation. The primary exposure was OSA. The primary outcome was invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), and secondary outcomes were noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV), length of hospital stay (LOS), and inflation-adjusted cost of hospitalization (IACH). Multivariable regression was conducted to ascertain the associations between OSA and primary and secondary outcomes accounting for BPD-associated comorbidities., Results: Among 33,640 hospitalizations of children with BPD for acute respiratory illness, there were 607 (1.8%) cases with comorbid OSA vs. 33,033 (98.2%) controls without OSA. Patients with OSA were more likely to have aspiration pneumonia, central sleep apnea, obesity, laryngeal stenosis, congenital airway, and skull/face/jaw anomalies. Multivariable regression showed that OSA was associated with IMV (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.09-1.94, p = 0.012) and NIMV (OR 2.61, 95% CI 1.71-3.98, p < 0.001), but not LOS or IACH., Conclusions: In BPD patients hospitalized with acute respiratory illness, having OSA is associated with increased risks for respiratory insufficiency requiring noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation. Clinicians should consider OSA, along with other BPD-associated comorbidities, in the management of this population., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Dysphagia is common in elderly patients with dementia and is one of the common clinical geriatric syndromes. It imposes a heavy burden on patients and their caregivers and is becoming an important public health problem. This study examined the association between dysphagia in older dementia patients in the ICU and the subsequent adverse health outcomes they experience., Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis of adults (≥65 years) with dementia in ICUs of a Boston tertiary academic medical center was conducted. Using the International Classification of Diseases' Ninth and Tenth Revisions, dementia patients were identified. The study cohort comprised 1009 patients, median age 84.82 years, 56.6% female, predominantly White (72.9%). Patients were grouped based on swallowing function: dysphagia (n=282) and no-dysphagia (n=727). Dysphagia was identified via positive bedside swallowing screening. Primary outcomes were 90- and 180-day mortality, secondary outcomes included aspiration pneumonia, pressure injury, and delirium. Cohort characteristics were compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum and chi-square tests. Dysphagia and outcomes correlations were examined via Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, Cox proportional-hazards regression models, logistic regression models, and subgroup analysis., Results: After adjusting for covariates, the results from multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression indicated that dysphagia was significantly associated with increased 90-day (HR=1.36, 95% CI=1.07-1.73, E-value=1.78) and 180-day (HR=1.47, 95% CI=1.18-1.82, E-value=1.94) mortality; the multifactorial logistic regression results indicated that dysphagia was associated with significant increases in pressure injury (OR=1.58, 95% CI=1.11-2.23, E-value=1.83) and aspiration pneumonia occurrence (OR=4.04, 95% CI=2.72-6.01, E-value=7.54), but was not significantly associated with delirium prevalence (OR=1.27, 95% CI=0.93-1.74)., Conclusion: Dysphagia is likely to increase the risk of adverse health outcomes in older adults with dementia in ICU, and these adverse outcomes mostly include 90- and 180-day mortality, aspiration pneumonia, and pressure injury., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2023 Cheng et al.)

Background & Aims: This study aimed to investigate the associations of pre-existing sarcopenia with swallowing function, oral intake level, and aspiration pneumonia in patients with acute stroke., Methods: This observational study included patients (≥60 years of age) with acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage within 7 days of onset who were screened for sarcopenia, malnutrition, and swallowing difficulties in a stroke-care unit within 48 h of admission. Sarcopenia was defined by the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia 2019 as having a low calf circumference, handgrip strength, and appendicular muscle mass index. The primary outcome was impaired oral intake (functional oral intake scale <5 points) at 3, 7, and 14 days after admission, and the secondary outcome was aspiration pneumonia during hospitalization., Results: We enrolled 350 patients (median age of 77 years; 63% males) who underwent the aforementioned screening. Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 34% of patients, and malnutrition was found in 66% of patients with sarcopenia. When compared with the comparison group (defined as patients with either or both normal calf circumference and handgrip strength), the sarcopenia group had significantly lower tongue pressure and a higher prevalence of dysphagia. Sarcopenia was associated with functional oral intake scale <5 at 7 days (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.91-11.71); p = 0.002) and 14 days (adjusted OR, 3.93; 95% CI, 1.47-10.53; p = 0.006) and with aspiration pneumonia during hospitalization (adjusted OR, 6.12; 95% CI, 1.63-22.94; p = 0.007)., Conclusion: Acute stroke patients with sarcopenia may have weakness of the swallowing-related muscles which may lead to impaired oral intake and aspiration pneumonia., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Aspiration pneumonia is a common cause of death in dysphagia patients. In this review, we investigate whether a structured oral care approach can help to reduce pneumonia risk in dysphagic patients. In addition, guidelines for the implementation of oral care on the basis of the analyzed studies are presented. Oral care has positive effects on the risk of pneumonia in dysphagia patients. Oral care should be based on the principles of simplicity, safety, efficiency and effectiveness, universality and economy and it should include all parts of the oral cavity. Effective oral care takes less than five minutes a day. The tactile stimulation prepares the patient for dysphagia therapy and can be considered wisely-invested time., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous studies have shown reduced survival in Lewy body dementia (LBD) compared to Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the reasons for this are not known. We identified cause of death categories accounting for the reduced survival in LBD., Methods: We linked cohorts of patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) and AD, with proximal cause of death data. We examined mortality by dementia group and hazard ratios for each death category by dementia group in males and females separately. In a specific focus on the dementia group with the highest mortality rate versus reference, we examined cumulative incidence to identify the main causes of death accounting for the excess deaths., Results: Hazard ratios for death were higher in PDD and DLB compared to AD, for both males and females. PDD males had the highest hazard ratio for death across the dementia comparison groups (HR 2.7, 95% CI 2.2-3.3). Compared with AD, hazard ratios for "nervous system" causes of death were significantly elevated in all LBD groups. Additional significant cause-of-death categories included aspiration pneumonia, genitourinary causes, other respiratory causes, circulatory and a "symptoms and signs" category in PDD males; other respiratory causes in DLB males; mental disorders in PDD females; and aspiration pneumonia, genitourinary and other respiratory causes in DLB females., Conclusion: Further research and cohort development is required to investigate differences by age group, to extend cohort follow-up to the whole population and to investigate the risk-balance of interventions which may differ by dementia group., (© 2023 The Authors. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: Aspiration pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death in patients with muscular dystrophy; therefore, it is important to predict its occurrence in the clincal setting. We aimed to examine the usefulness of repeated saliva swallowing test (RSST), modified water swallowing test (MWST), and flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) for evaluating the Hyodo score at the bedside, to predict the risk of aspiration pneumonia in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)., Methods: In this retrospective cohort study involving 43 patients, we evaluated the swallowing function using the RSST, MWST, and FEES, and predicted the likelihood of aspiration pneumonia within 2 years after the assessment. The Hyodo score, a scoring system for evaluating the swallowing function determined by the FEES, was used., Results: Pneumonia was observed in 14 patients (32.6%). The RSST was not significantly useful for predicting the onset of pneumonia. The MWST was reported to have a cutoff value of < 4 points. Significantly more patients in the pneumonia group had an MWST score of < 4 points. The results revealed that the occurrence of pneumonia could be predicted based on a Hyodo cutoff score of ≥ 6. Significantly more patients in the pneumonia group had an MWST score of < 4 or a Hyodo score of ≥ 6., Conclusions: Combining MWST and FEES is useful for evaluating the bedside swallowing function and predicting the onset of pneumonia., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Every minute, six indigenous Africans develop new strokes. Patient-level and system-level contributors to early stroke fatality in this region are yet to be delineated. We aimed to identify and quantify the contributions of patient-level and system-level determinants of inpatient stroke fatality across 16 hospitals in Ghana and Nigeria., Methods: The Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network (SIREN) is a multicentre study involving 16 sites in Ghana and Nigeria. Cases include adults (aged ≥18 years) with clinical and radiological evidence of an acute stroke. Data on stroke services and resources available at each study site were collected and analysed as system-level factors. A host of demographic and clinical variables of cases were analysed as patient-level factors. A mixed effect log-binomial model including both patient-level and system-level covariates was fitted. Results are presented as adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) with respective 95% CIs., Findings: Overall, 814 (21·8%) of the 3739 patients admitted with stroke died as inpatients: 476 (18·1%) of 2635 with ischaemic stroke and 338 (30·6%) of 1104 with intracerebral haemorrhage. The variability in the odds of stroke fatality that could be attributed to the system-level factors across study sites assessed using model intracluster correlation coefficient was substantial at 7·3% (above a 5% threshold). Stroke units were available at only five of 16 centres. The aRRs of six patient-level factors associated with stroke fatality were: low vegetable consumption, 1·19 (95% CI 1·07-1·33); systolic blood pressure, 1·02 (1·01-1·04) for each 10 mm Hg rise; stroke lesion volume more than 30 cm 3 , 1·48 (1·22-1·79); National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, 1·20 (1·13-1·26) for each 5-unit rise; elevated intracranial pressure, 1·75 (1·31-2·33); and aspiration pneumonia, 1·79 (1·16-2·77)., Interpretation: Studies are needed to assess the efficacy of interventions targeting patient-level factors such as aspiration pneumonia in reducing acute stroke fatality in this region. Policy directives to improve stroke unit access are warranted., Funding: US National Institutes of Health., Translations: For the Twi, Yoruba and Hausa translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Respiratory complications are common following neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS) spinal fusion. Concern exists regarding the safety to perform complicated procedures in winter months when viral respiratory illness is common. The purpose of this study was to compare perioperative outcomes in children with NMS undergoing spinal fusion during peak (November-March) or non-peak (April-October) viral season., Methods: The Health Care and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kids' inpatient database (KID) from 2006 to 2012 was reviewed. Children 20 years or younger who underwent spinal fusion for NMS were included. Patients were grouped by date of surgery during peak or non-peak viral season. Continuous variables were compared using t tests and categorical variables were compared using the Rao-Scott Chi-square test. Weighted logistic regression models were performed., Results: This study identified 5082 records, including 1711 and 3371 patients who had surgery in peak and non-peak viral seasons, respectively. Patients who had spinal fusion during peak viral season were less likely to experience respiratory failure (p = 0.0008) and did not demonstrate an increased incidence of aspiration pneumonia (p = 0.26), respiratory complication (p = 0.43), or mortality (p = 0.68). Respiratory failure was associated with younger age (p = 0.0031), the presence of a tracheostomy (p < 0.0001), and the number of chronic conditions (p < 0.0001). Higher number of chronic medical conditions (mean of 5.0) was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality (p < 0.0001), aspiration pneumonia (p = 0.0009), and respiratory failure (p < 0.0001)., Conclusion: Spinal fusion for NMS during peak viral season has a lower risk of respiratory failure without an increase in mortality or other complications compared to during non-peak viral season., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Scoliosis Research Society.)

Objective: Oral feeding by children with bronchiolitis on high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is questioned, resulting in high practice variability. Our objective was to determine the incidence of aspiration pneumonia and adverse feeding events in otherwise healthy children with bronchiolitis on HFNC who fed orally from admission., Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective chart review, in a tertiary children's hospital, of 876 children who were <24 months old, admitted for bronchiolitis, and treated with HFNC in the pediatric ward from March 2017 to May 2020. Primary outcomes included the incidence of aspiration pneumonia and adverse feeding events. Secondary outcomes included escalation of care, frequency and duration of nil per os status, length of stay, and 7-day readmission., Results: Most patients (77.2%) met inclusion criteria and were fed orally within 2 hours of admission. The average maximum HFNC flow rate was 8 L/min (1 L/kg/min); the average maximum respiratory rate was 62 ± 10. Adverse feeding events occurred in 11 patients (1.6%), of which 3 had a concern for possible microaspiration. None were diagnosed with or treated for aspiration pneumonia. Few patients (8.1%) were made nil per os while on HFNC but returned to oral feeding by discharge., Conclusion: Among those with bronchiolitis on HFNC who received oral nutrition on admission, there were few incidences of adverse feeding events and no diagnoses of aspiration pneumonia, suggesting that oral feeding while on HFNC can be well-tolerated in similar populations. However, this study was limited by its single-center retrospective design, and future prospective studies are needed., (Copyright © 2023 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Objective: The objectives of the study were to clarify the characteristics of dysphagia and the incidence of pneumonia in Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) patients, and to investigate the relationship between the development of pneumonia and the DM1 patient's background, especially concerning swallowing function evaluated by endoscopy., Methods: The subjects were 88 DM1 patients who underwent swallowing function evaluation. The severity of disease in DM1patients was assessed based on the muscular impairment rating scale (MIRS), and the number of CTG repeats. Patients were divided into two groups; those who developed aspiration pneumonia within two years after swallowing assessment and those who did not develop aspiration pneumonia. Swallowing function was assessed using the food intake level scale (FILS), repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST), the modified water swallowing test (MWST), and the Hyodo score., Results: Onset of pneumonia within two years of assessment was observed in 22 cases (25%). Age, FILS, and Hyodo score were significantly different between pneumonia and non-pneumonia groups. There was a significant difference in swallowing function tests such as FILS, RSST, and Hyodo score between males and females. The Hyodo score cutoff value for predicting pneumonia within two years was determined by ROC analysis. A cutoff value of 6 was found to have a sensitivity of 0.545 and a specificity of 0.833 (area under the curve=0.722)., Conclusion: It is important to evaluate the swallowing function of DM1 patients by endoscopy to prevent aspiration pneumonia. In addition, male patients are more likely to deteriorate in swallowing function and should be carefully monitored., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no financial relationships or conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background & Aims: Aspiration pneumonia (AP) is a public health concern among older adults. Previous studies have reported the association between oral intake initiation within 48 h after hospital admission and better in-hospital outcomes among patients with AP. We investigated the association between initiation of oral intake within 24 h and in-hospital outcomes of older patients with AP undergoing dysphagia rehabilitation., Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted from April 2015 to September 2020. Door-to-oral time (D2O) was defined as the time from hospital arrival to the first oral intake and was divided into early (within 24 h), middle (between 24 and 48 h), and late (over 48 h). We examined the associations between D2O and in-hospital outcomes: discharge with oral intake (by logistic regression analysis), length of stay, and days from the first oral intake to discharge (by fitting the general linear models with robust variance estimation)., Results: Among the 398 patients with AP, 142 (35.7%) were classified into early, 111 (27.9%) into middle, and 145 (36.4%) into late groups. Compared with the late group, we found insufficient evidence that early D2O was associated with a greater likelihood of discharge with oral intake (adjusted odds ratio = 1.09; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.50 to 2.38). The early group was associated with a shorter length of stay (adjusted length difference [aLD] = -7.14 days; 95% CI: -10.80 to -3.42) but not with shorter days from first oral intake to discharge (aLD = -3.34 days; 95% CI: -6.91 to 0.24)., Conclusions: While D2O within 24 h among patients with AP was not associated with a decreased likelihood of discharge with oral intake, it was associated with a shorter length of stay. To improve outcomes without compromising the quality of AP care, early oral intake should be decided based on careful swallowing function assessment., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study examined the association between parenteral energy/amino acid doses and in-hospital mortality among inpatients on long-term nil per os (NPO) status, using a medical claims database in Japan., Methods: Hospitalized patients with aspiration pneumonia, aged 65 and older, and on more than 7-day NPO status were identified in a medical claims database between January 2013 and December 2018. Using multivariate logistic regression and regression analyses, we examined the association between mean parenteral energy/amino acid doses and in-hospital mortality, and secondarily, the association between prognosis (in-hospital mortality, inability to receive full oral intake, readmission, and hospital stay length) and 4 groups of mean amino acid doses (no dose: 0 g/kg/day; very low dose: >0, ≤0.3 g/kg/day; low dose: >0.3, ≤0.6 g/kg/day; moderate dose: >0.6 g/kg/day)., Results: The analysis population included 20 457 inpatients (≥80 years: 78.3%). In total, 5 920 mortalities were recorded. Increased amino acid doses were significantly associated with reduced in-hospital mortality (p < .001). With a no dose reference level, the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of in-hospital mortality adjusted for potential confounders were 0.78 (0.72-0.85), 0.74 (0.67-0.82), and 0.69 (0.59-0.81) for very low, low, and moderate amino acid doses, respectively. Additionally, patients prescribed amino acid dose levels more than 0.6 g/kg/day had shorter hospitalization periods than those prescribed none., Conclusions: Increased amino acid doses were associated with reduced in-hospital mortality. Sufficient amino acid administration is recommended for patients with aspiration pneumonia requiring NPO status., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.)

Background: Intractable aspiration and aspiration pneumonia are complications after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and they may be life-threatening in severe cases. In the past, the efficacy of controlling aspiration and aspiration pneumonia in such patients was not ideal., Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the effect of tracheoesophageal diversion and laryngotracheal separation (TED-LTS) procedures for these patients. Material and Methods . We retrospectively analyzed the medical data of five patients with intractable aspiration and recurrent aspiration pneumonia caused by NPC radiotherapy who underwent TED-LTS surgery. The patients were evaluated in terms of aspiration pneumonia control, body weight improvement, removal of tube feeding, oral feeding, and complications., Results: Intractable aspiration and aspiration pneumonia were completely controlled in all cases, and the patients' body weight increased from 46.46 ± 4.6 (38.9-50.3) kg to 55.32 ± 2.7 (51.4-56.7) kg. Four patients were able to consume an oral semisolid diet, and one patient maintained an oral liquid diet. Tube feeding was not required in 4 patients. One patient developed postoperative esophageal fistula, which improved after conservative treatment., Conclusion: TED-LTS is effective for intractable aspiration and aspiration pneumonia caused by NPC radiotherapy and can be used to restore partial oral feeding. However, strict surgical indications should be followed., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2022 Wei Gu and Jian Wang.)

Biophysical insults that either reduce barrier function (COVID-19, smoke inhalation, aspiration, and inflammation) or increase mechanical stress (surfactant dysfunction) make the lung more susceptible to atelectrauma. We investigate the susceptibility and time-dependent disruption of barrier function associated with pulmonary atelectrauma of epithelial cells that occurs in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). This in vitro study was performed using Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) as a noninvasive evaluating technique for repetitive stress stimulus/response on monolayers of the human lung epithelial cell line NCI-H441. Atelectrauma was mimicked through recruitment/derecruitment (RD) of a semi-infinite air bubble to the fluid-occluded micro-channel. We show that a confluent monolayer with a high level of barrier function is nearly impervious to atelectrauma for hundreds of RD events. Nevertheless, barrier function is eventually diminished, and after a critical number of RD insults, the monolayer disintegrates exponentially. Confluent layers with lower initial barrier function are less resilient. These results indicate that the first line of defense from atelectrauma resides with intercellular binding. After disruption, the epithelial layer community protection is diminished and atelectrauma ensues. ECIS may provide a platform for identifying damaging stimuli, ventilation scenarios, or pharmaceuticals that can reduce susceptibility or enhance barrier-function recovery.

Choking and aspiration pneumonia are a leading cause of preventable death for people in residential care in Australia. In Victoria, in 2018-2019, 59% of deaths of persons in residential care that were referred to the coroner were from aspiration pneumonia. In 2016-2017, in New South Wales, the leading cause of death in people with disability living in residential care was pneumonitis caused by solids and fluids in the lungs. Such deaths are closely linked with swallowing problems (dysphagia) and people with cognitive impairments and multiple health issues, including mental health issues, are most at risk. This commentary focuses on coronial inquests where coroners' findings have identified dysphagia or aspiration pneumonia as a cause of death or a contributor to a person's death. It also includes a summary of the recommendations by coroners which highlight processes that should be implemented to improve the safety of people with dysphagia., Competing Interests: The authors declare that funding for this study was provided by the Australian Government, National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission by a grant to the first, second and last authors.

Objectives/hypothesis: To identify risk factors for pneumonia incidence in patients with dysphagia undergoing a videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) in an outpatient tertiary-care center., Study Design: Historical cohort study., Methods: All individuals undergoing a VFSS between 10/02/13 and 07/30/15 were identified and followed historically for 2 years. Demographic information, medical history, and fluoroscopic data were collected. The 2-year incidence of pneumonia was obtained from the medical records and telephone interview. The incidence of pneumonia and death were calculated and risk factors for pneumonia and mortality were ascertained., Results: 689 patients were followed for 2 years. The mean age (±standard deviation) of the cohort was 65 (±15.5) years. 49% (338/689) were female. The most common causes of dysphagia were cricopharyngeus muscle dysfunction (270/689), head and neck cancer (175/689), and neurodegenerative disease (56/689). The incidence of pneumonia was 22% (153/689). The incidence of death was 11%. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder [COPD] (odds ratio [OR] = 2.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33-4.19), hypertension (OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.23-2.73), tracheotomy status (OR = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.09-7.99), and vallecular residue (OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.24-2.85) were all significantly associated with an elevated risk of pneumonia. Kidney disease (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.02-9.9), COPD (OR = 3.27, 95% CI: 1.65-6.49), vallecular residue (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.35-4.1), male gender (OR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.25-3.92), and low body mass index (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.06-1.19) were independent adjusted risk factors for death., Conclusions: The incidence of aspiration pneumonia (22%) and death (11%) within 2-years of a VFSS was high. The greatest adjusted risk factors for incident pneumonia were tracheotomy (OR = 3.0), COPD (OR = 2.4) and vallecular residue (OR = 1.9). The greatest adjusted risk factors for death were COPD (OR = 3.3), vallecular residue (OR = 2.3), and male gender (OR = 2.2)., Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 132:1172-1176, 2022., (© 2021 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

A 59-year-old man with a history of cerebral palsy and dextroscoliosis died in a group home. He required supplemental oxygen and had no bowel movement for weeks prior to death. At autopsy, the abdomen was markedly distended and there were flexion contractures of the legs. Postmortem computed tomography revealed a dilated digestive tract and fecal loading in the sigmoid and rectum, marked upwardly displaced diaphragm and scoliosis. On internal examination, the diaphragm was displaced rostrally and the rectosigmoid colon contained 2.5 kg of fecaloma with two rectal fecaliths. Severe scoliosis with marked reduction in volume of thoracic cavity was present. Microscopic examination revealed chronic aspiration pneumonia and chronic pulmonary hypertension. Overall, four factors led to respiratory failure: fecaloma; cerebral palsy; scoliosis; and chronic aspiration pneumonia. Based on clinicopathological correlation, the cause of death was determined to be a combination of these factors, and the key acute factor was the fecaloma., (© 2021. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Elderly inpatients who develop fevers after resumption of oral intake are often considered to have aspiration pneumonia (AP) and be tentatively fasted. Fasting has been associated with prolonged hospital stays and decreased swallowing ability. The purpose of this study was to compare AP and other infections after resumption of oral intake in elderly inpatients and to identify the clinical characteristics., Patients and Methods: The records of patients who were admitted to a public tertiary hospital and referred for evaluation of swallowing disability were retrospectively reviewed to identify those who had developed AP, non-AP, or urinary tract infection (UTI) after resumption of oral intake. Eligible patients were enrolled consecutively in the study. The patient characteristics, physical findings, laboratory data, oral intake status at the time of onset of symptoms, and rate of discontinuation of oral intake after onset of infection were compared between the three types of infection., Results: A total of 193 patients developed an infectious illness after resuming oral intake. Among them, 114 patients had a diagnosis of AP (n = 45), non-AP (n = 24), or UTI (n = 45). There were no significant differences in patient characteristics, physical findings or laboratory data between the group with AP and the other two groups. AP developed at a median of 6 (range 1-16) days after resumption of oral intake. The rate of discontinuation of oral intake was 91.1% in the AP group, 58.3% in the non-AP group, and 26.7% in the UTI group, respectively., Conclusion: Infectious diseases other than AP should be considered in the differential diagnosis when nosocomial fever develops in elderly inpatients more than 17 days after resuming oral intake. Furthermore, nosocomial fever after resuming oral intake has many causes other than AP, and discontinuation of oral intake should be carefully considered., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Post-extubation dysphagia (PED) is recognized as a common complication in the intensive care unit (ICU). Speech and language therapy (SLT) can potentially help improve PED; however, the impact of the timing of SLT initiation on persistent PED has not been well investigated. This study aimed to examine the timing of SLT initiation and its effect on patient outcomes after extubation in the ICU., Methods: We conducted this multicenter, retrospective, cohort study, collecting data from eight ICUs in Japan. Patients aged ≥ 20 years with orotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation for longer than 48 h, and those who received SLT due to PED, defined as patients with modified water swallowing test scores of 3 or lower, were included. The primary outcome was dysphagia at hospital discharge, defined as functional oral intake scale score < 5 or death after extubation. Secondary outcomes included dysphagia or death at the seventh, 14th, or 28th day after extubation, aspiration pneumonia, and in-hospital mortality. Associations between the timing of SLT initiation and outcomes were determined using multivariable logistic regression., Results: A total of 272 patients were included. Of them, 82 (30.1%) patients exhibited dysphagia or death at hospital discharge, and their time spans from extubation to SLT initiation were 1.0 days. The primary outcome revealed that every day of delay in SLT initiation post-extubation was associated with dysphagia or death at hospital discharge (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02-1.18). Similarly, secondary outcomes showed associations between this per day delay in SLT initiation and dysphagia or death at the seventh day (AOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.05-1.55), 14th day (AOR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.13-1.58), or 28th day (AOR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.07-1.36) after extubation and occurrence of aspiration pneumonia (AOR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02-1.17), while per day delay in post-extubation SLT initiation did not affect in-hospital mortality (AOR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.97-1.12)., Conclusions: Delayed initiation of SLT in PED patients was associated with persistent dysphagia or death. Early initiation of SLT may prevent this complication post-extubation. A randomized controlled study is needed to validate these results., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons selectively. In particular, weakness in respiratory and swallowing muscles occasionally causes aspiration pneumonia and choking, which can be lethal. Surgery to prevent aspiration, which separates the trachea and esophagus, can reduce the associated risks. Central-part laryngectomy (CPL) is a relatively minimally invasive surgery to prevent aspiration. No studies have been conducted on the long-term outcomes of surgery to prevent aspiration in patients with ALS. This case series aimed to determine the long-term outcomes of surgery to prevent aspiration and the use of a continuous low-pressure aspirator in patients with ALS by evaluating the frequency of intratracheal sputum suctions performed per day, intra- and postoperative complications, oral intake data, and satisfaction of patients and their primary caregiver to predict improvement in patients' quality of life (QOL)., Methods: We report a case series of six patients with ALS who underwent CPL along with tracheostomy to prevent aspiration between January 2015 and November 2018. We evaluated their pre- and postoperative status and administered questionnaires at the time of last admission to the patients and their primary caregivers., Results: The mean follow-up period after CPL was 33.5 months. Aerophagia was a common postoperative complication. The use of a continuous low-pressure aspirator resulted in reduced frequency of intratracheal sputum suctions. All cases avoided aspiration pneumonia. Oral intake was continued for 2-4 years after the tracheostomy and CPL. The satisfaction levels of the patient and primary caregiver were high., Conclusion: Our case series suggests that the use of a continuous low-pressure aspirator in patients undergoing CPL improves oral intake and reduces the frequency of intratracheal sputum suctions, which improves the QOL of patients with ALS and their families and caregivers. CPL and continuous low-pressure aspiration should be considered as a management option for ALS with significant bulbar and respiratory muscle weakness/dysfunction., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The presence of oropharyngeal dysphagia increases the likelihood of prandial aspiration, and aspiration increases the likelihood of a dysphagia-related pulmonary sequelae such as aspiration pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary fibrosis, and even death. Although these outcomes are unfortunate, it is important to point out that these consequences are not solely determined by the presence of aspiration. The purpose of this tutorial is to provide current information on pulmonary defenses and the variables that increase risk of an adverse outcome in individuals who aspirate., Method: This tutorial reviews the basics of lung defenses and summarizes the literature to make the case that the host is a central theme in dysphagia management. Case studies are employed to highlight the key variables., Results: Based on a literature review, a series of questions are proposed for consideration in dysphagia management. These questions, which take the focus away from the presence of aspiration and toward the associated risks within an individual, are then applied to two case studies., Conclusions: A guiding framework is proposed to encourage clinicians to assess more than the presence of aspiration and consider the individual's ability to cope with the aspirated material. In the presence of aspiration, clinicians are urged to focus on the risk factors that can lead to a negative consequence, identify which factors are modifiable, and determine when a level of risk is acceptable.

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the incidence of and risk factors for postoperative pneumonia and aspiration pneumonia after hip fracture surgery., Design: Retrospective cohort study from 2005 to 2021., Setting: Asan Medical Center in Seoul, Republic of Korea., Participants: A total 1,208 patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent hip fracture surgery., Measurements: Postoperative pneumonia was defined as cases with new infiltration on chest x-ray or chest computed tomography (CT) after surgery or confirmed by a pulmonologist's consultation and diagnosis. Aspiration pneumonia was defined as: 1) radiologic findings of hospital-acquired pneumonia on chest radiographs or CT, medical record of aspiration pneumonia confirmed by a pulmonologist's consultation, and history of vomiting or aspiration, or 2) gravity-dependent opacity on chest CT when the history of vomiting or aspiration is ambiguous. Patient demographics, past medical history, pre-injury Koval score, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), blood test results, length of hospital stay, and in-hospital mortality were evaluated. A comparison analysis and binary logistic regression were performed to identify the incidence and risk factors for postoperative pneumonia and aspiration pneumonia., Results: Postoperative pneumonia was diagnosed in 47 patients (3.9%), including 20 with aspiration pneumonia (1.7%). In the multivariate analysis, postoperative delirium (odds ratio [OR], 3.42; P < 0.001), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores ≥ 3 (OR, 2.11; P = 0.021), and CCI (OR, 1.21; P = 0.013) were significant risk factors for postoperative pneumonia. Male sex (OR, 3.01; P = 0.017), postoperative delirium (OR, 3.16; P = 0.014), and preoperative serum albumin levels < 3.5 g/dL (OR, 7.00; P = 0.010) were significant risk factors for aspiration pneumonia., Conclusion: ASA classification ≥ 3, higher CCI, and postoperative delirium were the risk factors for postoperative pneumonia. Male sex, postoperative delirium, and lower preoperative serum albumin level were the risk factors for aspiration pneumonia. Thus, physicians should pay attention to patients with the risk factors., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Purpose: Aspiration pneumonia is a critical issue. General anesthesia may suppress the airway's protective reflex. However, aspiration pneumonia is also observed in patients who undergo hip fracture surgery under spinal anesthesia. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between anesthesia methods and aspiration pneumonia as well as the predictive factors of aspiration pneumonia in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. Methods: The medical records of 19,809 patients aged ≥60 years who underwent hip fracture surgery under general or spinal anesthesia were reviewed. After propensity score matching, the anesthesia methods affecting the occurrences of aspiration pneumonia and other complications were investigated via logistic regression and instrumental variable analyses. Predictive factors of aspiration pneumonia were also investigated in all subjects using a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: Among the 11,673 general anesthesia patients and 8136 spinal anesthesia patients, aspiration pneumonia occurred in 356 patients (1.8%). Post-propensity score matching the incidences of aspiration pneumonia with general and spinal anesthesia were 1.8% and 1.5%, respectively ( p = 0.158); other pulmonary complications were 1.5% and 1.5%, respectively ( p = 0.893); and the mortality rates were 1.4% and 1.2%, respectively ( p = 0.219). The predictive factors of aspiration pneumonia were advanced age, male sex, lean body, cerebrovascular disease, dementia, and dependency for activities of daily living (eating). Conclusion: Spinal and general anesthesia showed similar incidences of aspiration pneumonia in elderly hip fracture surgery. Regardless of the anesthesia method, great care should be taken, especially in elderly patients with the identified predictive factors.

Objective/hypothesis: Tracheoesophageal diversion (TED) can prevent damage to the respiratory system in patients with swallowing disorders and/or repetitive aspiration pneumonia; however, TED may cause the loss of phonation. Our previous study demonstrated that TED with tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) prevents aspiration while retaining phonation. In this study, we aimed to further evaluate the feeding status and phonation of patients who underwent TED with TEP to verify the reproducibility of this procedure., Study Design: Case series study., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 11 patients who underwent TED with TEP for intractable aspiration from February 2017 to August 2019 at Fukuoka Sanno Hospital. We evaluated the preoperative penetration aspiration score (PPAS), daily activities, preoperative and postoperative food intake level scale (FILS) score, nutrition route, maximum phonation time(MPT), and postoperative communication method., Results: The study population included 10 men and 1 woman (mean age, 66 years; range, 44-81) with a PPAS of 6.8 ± 1.0. The FILS score changed from 2.1 ± 0.5 preoperatively to 7.5 ± 2.0 postoperatively (paired t-test, P < .05), while the MPT changed from 7.9 ± 4.1 to 10.3 ± 4.2 s (paired t-test, P = .9). Preoperatively, a gastric fistula (eight patients [73%]) was the main nutrition route, followed by a gastric tube (two patients [18%]). Postoperatively, the main nutritional route for eight patients (73%) was oral, while the remaining three patients (27%) used the oral route occasionally. All patients maintained laryngeal phonation function, and eight (73%) used only laryngeal phonation for communication., Conclusions: Patients with intractable aspiration who wish to retain phonatory function should be advised to undergo TED with TEP., Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:E1965-E1970, 2021., (© 2020 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Background: Tetanus is a rare, vaccine-preventable but extremely serious disease. We investigated the recent trend of the clinical outcomes and medical costs for inpatients with tetanus in South Korea over 10 years., Methods: We conducted a retrospective review to determine the clinical factors and medical costs associated with tetanus at two national university hospitals in South Korea between January 2011 and October 2019., Results: Forty-nine patients were admitted for tetanus (mean age, 67.0 years [range, 53.0-80.0 years]; 32 women [57.1%]). All the patients had generalized tetanus, and 5 (10.2%) died during hospitalization. The median duration from symptom onset to hospital admission was 4 days. Trismus (85.7%) was the most common symptom, and the median hospital stay was 39 days. Thirty-two patients (65.3%) required mechanical ventilation, and 20 (40.8%) developed aspiration pneumonia. The median total healthcare cost per patient was US $18,011. After discharge, 35 patients (71.4%) recovered sufficiently to walk without disability., Conclusions: Tetanus requires long hospital stays and high medical expenditures in South Korea; however, the vaccination completion rate is low. Medical staff should therefore promote medical advice and policies on the management of tetanus to the general South Korean population.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence and severity of dysphagia in patients diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia, with and without neurologic disorders., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of inpatients with aspiration pneumonia who underwent a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) for evaluation of dysphagia. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of neurologic disorders. The prevalence and severity of aspiration and pharyngeal residue due to dysphagia were assessed using the penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) and pharyngeal residue grade (PRG)., Results: A total of 784 patients were enrolled; of these, 58.7% were males and the mean age was 76.12 ± 6.69. Penetration-aspiration-related dysphagia (PAS scores 3-8) was seen in 56.5% of all subjects, and 32.5% showed silent aspiration (PAS 8). Pharyngeal residue-related dysphagia (PRG scores 2-3) was seen in 65.2% of all patients, and the PAS and PRG were positively correlated. On dividing the subjects into two groups based on the presence of neurologic disorders, there was no significant difference in prevalence of the dysphagia between groups (PAS: p = 0.641; PRG: p = 0.872) with the proportion of silent aspiration (p = 0.720)., Conclusion: In patients hospitalized for aspiration pneumonia, there was a high prevalence of dysphagia. There were no differences in the prevalence and severity of dysphagia in patients with aspiration pneumonia based on the presence or absence of a neurologic disorder. Therefore, diagnostic evaluation of dysphagia is necessary regardless of the presence of neurologic disorders.

Objectives: Dysphagia is common in patients with acute ischemic stroke patients (AIS) and it increases the risk of aspiration pneumonia after AIS. The volume-viscosity swallow test (V-VST) is a useful dysphagia screening tool. Therefore, we aim to explore the association between dysphagia (using the modified V-VST) and aspiration pneumonia in acute ischemic stroke patients., Patients and Methods: All patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) admitted during 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018 were screened in this study by completing the modified V-VST within 24 hours after admission. The information of aspiration pneumonia was obtained from electronic medical system (EMS) and discharge notes., Results: Among 624 AIS patient, there were 152(24.36%) patients who suffered from aspiration pneumonia (95% CI, 20.65% - 27.35%) during hospitalization. Among all of them, patients with both impaired safety and impaired efficacy (HR, 7.53, 95%CI, 3.42-16.58, P < 0.001)) had a higher risk of aspiration pneumonia than those with only safety impaired (HR, 2.38, 95%CI, 1.40-4.04, P < 0.001) or only efficacy impaired (HR, 2.47, 95%CI, 1.33-4.57, P = 0.004). The risk of aspiration pneumonia was also associated with their completed volume at each viscosity. The patients with all impairment of three viscosities were also found to be related to the higher risk of developing aspiration pneumonia (P = 0.029)., Conclusions: The Modified V-VST is an easy-hand on, reliable screening tool for dysphagia among patients with AIS. Patient subgroup analyses based on the modified V-VST might be able to predict the risk of aspiration pneumonia during hospitalization., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: The Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, and confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure and age (CURB-65) scores have been used as prognostic factors of mortality related to healthcare-associated pneumonia. However, aspiration pneumonia remains unclear., Methods: A cross-sectional, prospective cohort study was carried out with 130 inpatients aged ≥75 years at a Geriatric ward of Kyorin University Hospital, Japan. We investigated the utility of aspiration pneumonia-related factors, latency of swallowing reflex and cough reflex sensitivity, serum albumin levels, the neutrophil-to- lymphocyte ratio, and conventional scores of pneumonia severity, for predicting 30- and 90-day healthcare-associated pneumonia mortality. Patient demographics, cognition, physical activity (Barthel Index), eating ability (Food Intake Level Scale), dementia stage (Functional Assessment Staging Tool), performance status (Zubrod score), current medications and comorbidities were collected. Pneumonia severity was evaluated using the Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, CURB-65 and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome criteria scores., Results: Age, Barthel Index, Zubrod, Functional Assessment Staging Tool and Food Intake Level Scale scores were significantly associated with mortality, whereas the conventional scores were not. The Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test using Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that serum albumin levels <2.75 and the comorbidity of atrial fibrillation were associated with a lower survival rate in deceased versus surviving individuals at 90 days. In addition, a deteriorated latency of swallowing reflex and a blunted cough reflex sensitivity were associated with 90-day mortality., Conclusions: Hypoalbuminemia, atrial fibrillation, deteriorated latency of swallowing reflex and blunted cough reflex sensitivity values were better predictors of 90-day mortality than traditional scores in older individuals with healthcare-associated pneumonia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 1036-1043.., (© 2020 Japan Geriatrics Society.)

Background and Objective: Aspiration pneumonia is a common and serious complication to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) among neurologically impaired children. Medication of GERD does not effectively prevent aspiration pneumonia, and whether antireflux surgery with fundoplication is better in this respect is uncertain. The objective was to determine whether fundoplication prevents aspiration pneumonia among children with neurological impairment and GERD., Methods: This was a population-based cohort study from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, consisting of neurologically impaired children with GERD who underwent fundoplication. The risk of aspiration pneumonia before fundoplication (preoperative person-time) was compared with the risk after surgery (postoperative person-time). Multivariable Cox regression provided hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Except for confounding adjusted for by means of the "crossover like" design, the HRs were adjusted for age, sex, year of entry and respiratory diseases., Results: Among 578 patients (median age 3.5 years), the preoperative person-time was 956 years and the postoperative person-time was 3324 years. Fundoplication was associated with 56% decreased overall HR of aspiration pneumonia (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.27-0.72), and the HRs decreased over time after surgery. The risk of other types of pneumonia than aspiration pneumonia was not clearly decreased after fundoplication (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.59-1.08). The 30-day mortality rate was 0.7% and the complication rate was 3.6%., Conclusions: Antireflux surgery decreases, but does not eliminate, the risk of aspiration pneumonia among neurologically impaired children with GERD. Fundoplication may be a treatment option when aspiration pneumonia is a recurrent problem in these children., Type of Study: Cohort study., Level of Evidence: Prognosis study-level I., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Introduction: many patients with acute-phase swallowing disorders experience malnutrition, which can be caused by oral intake difficulties. Many diseases can cause swallowing difficulties such as aspiration pneumonia, and it is, therefore, necessary to consider the risk of malnutrition during oral feeding therapy in patients with aspiration pneumonia. Objectives: we aimed to evaluate the risk of malnutrition in patients with aspiration pneumonia and other diseases. Methods: the participants comprised 62 patients (45 males, 17 females) with acute-phase swallowing disorders who underwent speech therapy (ST) for swallowing rehabilitation. The patients were divided into four groups: 1) oral feeding with pneumonia, 2) parenteral feeding with pneumonia, 3) oral feeding without pneumonia, and 4) parenteral feeding without pneumonia. The serum albumin and total protein levels were measured to evaluate malnutrition, and swallowing ability was assessed using the Fujishima grade. Results: at the time of ST initiation, serum albumin levels were significantly higher in the oral feeding with pneumonia and oral feeding without pneumonia groups than in the parenteral feeding with pneumonia and parenteral feeding without pneumonia groups. The Fujishima grades differed significantly between the pneumonia/parenteral feeding group and the non-pneumonia/parenteral feeding group. Conclusions: patients with difficulty in swallowing due to aspiration pneumonia were at higher risk of malnutrition than were those without these difficulties. These findings suggest that the nutritional status of parenterally fed patients who developed pneumonia may be inherently poorer than that of orally fed patients.

Objective: To compare hospital outcomes associated with commonly used antibiotic therapies for aspiration pneumonia in children with neurologic impairment (NI)., Design/methods: A retrospective study of children with NI hospitalized with aspiration pneumonia at 39 children's hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System database. Exposure was empiric antibiotic therapy classified by antimicrobial activity. Outcomes included acute respiratory failure, intensive care unit (ICU) transfer, and hospital length of stay (LOS). Multivariable regression evaluated associations between exposure and outcomes and adjusted for confounders, including medical complexity and acute illness severity., Results: In the adjusted analysis, children receiving Gram-negative coverage alone had two-fold greater odds of respiratory failure (odds ratio [OR] 2.15; 95% CI: 1.41-3.27), greater odds of ICU transfer (OR 1.80; 95% CI: 1.03-3.14), and longer LOS [adjusted rate ratio (RR) 1.28; 95% CI: 1.16-1.41] than those receiving anaerobic coverage alone. Children receiving anaerobic and Gram-negative coverage had higher odds of respiratory failure (OR 1.65; 95% CI: 1.19-2.28) than those receiving anaerobic coverage alone, but ICU transfer (OR 1.15; 95% CI: 0.73-1.80) and length of stay (RR 1.07; 95% CI: 0.98-1.16) did not statistically differ. For children receiving anaerobic, Gram-negative, and P. aeruginosa coverage, LOS was shorter (RR 0.83; 95% CI: 0.76-0.90) than those receiving anaerobic coverage alone; odds of respiratory failure and ICU transfer rates did not significantly differ., Conclusions: Anaerobic therapy appears to be important in the treatment of aspiration pneumonia in children with NI. While Gram-negative coverage alone was associated with worse outcomes, its addition to anaerobic therapy may not yield improved outcomes.

Background: In humans, respiratory complications in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) are a common life-threatening comorbidity. Since possible lung impairment has not been individually evaluated in canine AP, the aims of the present study were to: (1) describe the prevalence, types and severity of pulmonary complications in dogs with acute presentation of AP, and (2) evaluate their association with mortality. AP diagnosis was based on compatible clinical and laboratory parameters, abnormal canine pancreatic-lipase test, and positive abdominal ultrasound within 48 h from admission. The canine acute pancreatitis severity score (CAPS) was calculated for each dog at admission. Arterial blood gas analysis and thoracic radiography were performed at admission. Thoracic radiography was classified on the basis of pulmonary pattern (normal, interstitial or alveolar) and a modified lung injury score (mLIS) was applied to the ventrodorsal projections for each dog. VetALI/VetARDS were diagnosed using current veterinary consensus. Dogs were divided into non-survivors or survivors (hospital discharge). Clinical, radiological and blood gas parameters collected at presentation were compared between survivors and non-survivors and associated with mortality., Results: This prospective cohort study included twenty-six client-owned dogs with AP. Twelve out of twenty-six dogs (46%) died or were euthanized. At admission, thirteen dogs showed respiratory distress at physical examination, which was associated with death (P < 0.001). Radiographic abnormalities were found in twenty-one dogs: alveolar (n = 11) and interstitial pattern (n = 10). Radiographic alterations and mLIS score were both associated with death (P = 0.02 and P = 0.0023). The results of the arterial blood-gas evaluation showed that non-survivors had lower PaCO 2 and HCO 3 - levels, and higher A-a gradient than survivors (P = 0.0014, P = 0.019 and P = 0.004, respectively). Specifically, three dogs had aspiration pneumonia, and VetALI was diagnosed in nine dogs (34.6%), and no dogs met the criteria for VetARDS. The presence of VetALI was associated with mortality (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: As with humans, possible lung impairments, such as VetALI, should be investigated in dogs with acute presentation of pancreatitis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a Korean version of the Self-Care for Aspiration Pneumonia Prevention (SCAPP-K) scale in older adults at risk of dysphasia., Methods: The Hertz and Baas model of scale development and validation was used. In the development stage, items were generated via literature review and interviews with medical experts, older adults, and caregivers. Ten experts assessed the items for content validity. Subsequently, 12 older adults participated in a pilot test to determine the comprehensibility and appropriateness of the SCAPP-K scale. The validation stage involved a cross-sectional survey with 203 older adults for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 200 older adults for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and to determine convergent and discriminant validity. To test the validity and reliability of the scale, EFA using principal component analysis with varimax rotation and CFA were conducted, and convergent and discriminant validity as well as internal consistency reliability were determined., Results: As a result of EFA, three self-care factors (knowledge, resources, behaviors) with 21 items were validated. The CFA and convergent and discriminant validity indicated the applicability of the three-factor self-care scale. The reliability of the SCAPP-K scale was acceptable, with Cronbach's α=.87~.91., Conclusion: The SCAPP-K scale has acceptable validity and reliability and can contribute to clinical practice, research, and education to improve self-care for the prevention of aspiration pneumonia in older adults at risk of dysphasia., Competing Interests: The authors declared no conflict of interest., (© 2020 Korean Society of Nursing Science.)

Background: Respiratory diseases in newborns are considered major causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality especially in developing countries. Its causes are diverse and require early detection and management. This study aimed for detection of the prevalence and risk factors of respiratory diseases in addition to outcome among neonates admitted in neonatal intensive care unit., Methods: Our study was a prospective observational study that was undertaken at the neonatal intensive care unit of Qena University Hospital, Egypt from July 2017 to July 2018. Demographic and clinical data of newborns and their mothers were evaluated and tabulated., Results: In this period, 312 neonates were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, out of them 145 suffered respiratory diseases giving a prevalence of (46.5%), and (55.9%) were males. The mean neonatal age at admission was 4.33 ± 7.19 days and mean gestational age was 34.49 ± 3.31 weeks. The most common detected respiratory diseases were respiratory distress syndrome (RDS; 49.6%), transient tachypnea of newborn (TTN; 22%), neonatal pneumonia (17.2%) and meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS; 6.21%). Premature rupture of membrane (PROM), maternal diabetes and fetal prematurity had the highest risk factors for respiratory diseases occurrence in neonates. Neonatal mortality rate was 26.2%, mainly due to hyaline membrane disease and pneumonia., Conclusion: Respiratory diseases constitute major part of total admission in neonatal intensive care unit especially RDS, TTN, pneumonia and MAS. Prematurity and maternal diabetes were the most important risk factors associated with respiratory diseases. Respiratory distress syndrome carried the highest risk of mortality and TTN carried the highest survival rate., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s).)

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a useful procedure to evaluate lung infiltrates in order to identify infection, foreign body aspiration, and neoplasms. However, it is indeed unusual to find all three in the same sample. We report such a case in a 68-year-old male with a history of metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma and longstanding chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who presented with features of pneumonia. BAL revealed Aspergillus and parainfluenza infections, food particle aspiration pneumonia, as well as metastatic prostatic adenocarcinoma. The food particles were initially confused for yeast infection, but we finally identified them as nut products. This may be the first documented case of nut product aspiration diagnosed on BAL. The potential pitfalls that may complicate the evaluation are also discussed., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy affecting both motor and sensory peripheral nerves. Typically presenting after a gastrointestinal or a respiratory tract infection, it manifests as ascending paralysis with concomitant areflexia in patients. Cytoalbuminologic dissociation is a supportive finding on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. Due to variability in presentation, misdiagnosis and delay in treatment can occur, and consequently, GBS can become life threatening due to respiratory failure. We report ascending paralysis in a 36-year-old woman with known history of bipolar disorder who recently recovered from aspiration pneumonia following a drug overdose event. Given her psychiatric history, she was initially misdiagnosed as conversion disorder. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy was initiated at our hospital due to strong suspicion of GBS, based on history and physical examination findings consistent with flaccid quadriparesis and impending respiratory failure. CSF analysis and radiological findings subsequently supported our clinical suspicion and clinical findings. Concurrent IVIG therapy, pain management, aggressive physical and respiratory therapy, and monitoring resulted in symptom improvement. One must have a high index of suspicion for GBS when presented with acute inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies in patients who present with ascending paralysis. Early initiation of therapy is key and can prevent life-threatening complications.

A 74-year-old man with aspiration pneumonia was admitted in the internal medicine department. CT revealed progressive carcinoma of RS-Ra, which became the focus of intervention after the pneumonia was treated. After having been allowed temporary discharge, the patient was rehospitalized for surgical operation and rehabilitation. During the perioperative period of cancer patients, we use body distribution data for teaching and environment setting, which is a useful tool in rehabilitation. Rectal cancer was observed after hospitalization for pneumonia, presenting an interesting case. Therefore, care needs to be taken as body pressure distribution may be modified by comorbidity.

Background: Aspiration is a known risk of obstetric anesthesia; however; it has not been previously described outside of active labor or the setting of anesthesia., Case: We present the case of a 31-year-old patient with a twin gestation at 33 weeks of gestation, not in labor, with clinically silent aspiration leading to aspiration pneumonitis and respiratory collapse requiring endotracheal intubation and transport to a pulmonary critical care service. After 4 days, she was extubated and eventually underwent a cesarean delivery at 37 weeks of gestation with no long-term pulmonary sequelae., Conclusion: Clinicians should consider aspiration pneumonitis in the gravid patient who develops acute shortness of breath, even in the absence of active labor or receipt of anesthesia.