Eriko Mizokoshi, MD, Hitoshi Kagaya, MD, DMSc, Kazuyo Oguchi, MD, DMSc,
Yoichiro Aoyagi, MD, PhD, Seiko Shibata, MD, DMSc, Yoko Inamoto, SLHT, DMSc,
Akiko Hattori, MD, Akira Yamamoto, RN, Natsue Ota, RN, Sachiyo Hota, SLHT,
Tomoko Kondo, SLHT, Eiichi Saitoh, MD, DMSc
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 7: 73-79, 2016
Objective: To investigate the usefulness of swallowing
rounds using videoendoscopic evaluation of swallowing
in patients with suspected dysphagia admitted to an
acute general hospital.
Methods: 473 patients (mean age 79 years) in whom
swallowing rounds were conducted in 2013 were
analyzed retrospectively. The parameters analyzed were
disease at admission, eating status scale (ESS) score,
dysphagia severity scale (DSS) score, food texture,
onset of pneumonia during hospitalization, discharge
destination, and nutrition method at discharge.
Results: The most common diseases at admission were
pneumonia (48%) and stroke (20%). Compared to the
first swallowing round, significant (p < 0.001)
improvements in ESS score, DSS score, and food
texture were achieved at discharge or end of intervention
in all patients, pneumonia patients, and stroke patients.
The incidence of pneumonia onset during hospitalization
was 4.9%. The incidence of pneumonia was significantly
(p=0.045) higher in patients with respiratory diseases
than in stroke patients.
Conclusion: In this study, significant improvements of
ESS score, DSS score and food texture were achieved
by conducting swallowing rounds, indicating their
usefulness in acute general hospital.
Key words: dysphagia, swallowing rounds, videoendoscopic evaluation of swallowing, pneumonia, acute general hospital