Association between risk of dysphagia and signs suggestive of sarcopenia, nutritional status and frequency of oral hygiene in hospitalized elderly.
Ronivaldo Pinto Ferreira, Luana Marsicano Alves, Laura Davison Mangilli
PMID 37820239WHAT IT FOUND
Hospitalized elderly with signs of muscle loss, poor nutrition, or infrequent oral hygiene were significantly more likely to report swallowing difficulties.
Screen for these factors to identify patients at risk of dysphagia.
Key findings
0175.00% of the 16 patients at risk of dysphagia showed signs suggestive of sarcopenia, compared to 55.60% of those without dysphagia risk showing no signs.
0211 out of 16 participants with a risk of dysphagia were at risk of undernutrition, while only 13 out of 36 patients with no risk of dysphagia presented a regular nutritional status.
03The risk of dysphagia was statistically associated with the frequency of oral hygiene.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study used a convenience sample of only 52 patients. Most participants (75.00%) were hospitalized for respiratory problems associated with Covid-19, which may have influenced swallowing function and muscle mass, creating a specific epidemiological bias. The cross-sectional design cannot prove that sarcopenia, malnutrition, or poor oral hygiene caused the dysphagia; it only shows an association.
Declared interests
Not reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that treating sarcopenia or improving nutrition will resolve dysphagia. This study only shows that these conditions occur together in hospitalized elderly patients; it does not prove that one causes the other.