COVID-19 is associated with oropharyngeal dysphagia and malnutrition in hospitalized patients during the spring 2020 wave of the pandemic

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