Fumi Toda, MD, DMSc, Hitoshi Kagaya, MD, DMSc, Mikoto Baba, MD, DMSc,
Seiko Shibata, MD, DMSc, Yasunori Ozeki, MD, DMSc, Daisuke Kanamori, DDS, DMSc,
Takashi Tanaka, MD, DMSc, Tatsuhito Miki, RN, Keiko Ishigame, RN,
Kazuko Nishimura, RN, Keiko Onogi, MD, DMSc, Eiichi Saitoh, MD, DMSc
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 6: 50-55, 2015
Objective: To retrospectively investigate the effect of
ward rounds to check swallowing function (hereafter,
swallowing rounds) on the outcome of dysphagic
patients.
Methods: Upon requests from ward nurses or clinical
departments in our hospital, a full-time certified nurse
specialist in dysphagia examines the general condition
of patients and performs screening for dysphagia. For
patients who require detailed investigations, a
transdisciplinary dysphagia care team conducts ward
rounds and evaluates these patients in principle by
videoendoscopic evaluation of swallowing. We
reviewed the records of patients in whom swallowing
rounds were conducted between September 2006 and
March 2010, and analyzed the food texture and eating
status scale (ESS) scores at the first intervention, after
the first intervention and at the last observation;
dysphagia severity scale (DSS) scores at the first
intervention and at the last observation; and onset of
pneumonia during intervention.
Results: Among 1,330 patients suspected of dysphagia,
998 were judged to require detailed investigations
and swallowing rounds were conducted. As a result
of intervention, significant improvements in food
texture, ESS score, and DSS score were observed.
The incidence of pneumonia was 3.7%.
Discussion: Improvements in food texture, ESS score,
and DSS score were achieved by conducting
swallowing rounds.
Key words: dysphagia, swallowing rounds, Videoendoscopic evaluation of swallowing