Dysphagia in cervical spinal cord injury

Abstract

Results: A total of 121 cervical spinal cord injury patients (106 male and 16 female patients) were included in this study. Ten patients showed evidence of aspiration on VFSS. Statistical correlation to aspiration was found with age, presence of tracheostomy, and symptoms and signs indicating dysphagia. However, out of the 10 patients with evident aspiration, 2 patients did not show any symptoms or signs indicating aspiration. Conclusion: Because of the possibility of silent aspiration, we recommend that physicians treating patients with cervical spinal cord injury should always take the possibility of dysphagia and silent aspiration into consideration, especially in case of previous manifestation of pneumonia, presence of tracheostomy, or presence of signs and symptoms indicating dysphagia.

Descrição dos casos disfágicos atendidos em um centro especializado em reabilitação em Alagoas

“…4,6 Alguns estudos descrevem uma correlação entre o alto nível de escolaridade do indivíduo e a melhora da sua qualidade de vida, comprovando Os dados encontrados, com relação aos sinais e sintomas clínicos relacionados à disfagia, mostram uma predominância de engasgos, tosse, escape oral, deglutições múltiplas e aumento do trânsito oral. Nos estudos que realizaram a quantificação dos sinais e sintomas disfágicos, foi possível evidenciar a prevalência de tosse, deglutições múltiplas, aumento do trânsito oral e qualidade vocal alterada, resultados semelhantes aos que foram encontrados no presente estudo 24,25 Em outras literaturas analisadas, foi ressaltada a presença de tosse e de infecções respiratórias, no entanto não havia quantificação, sendo realizada apenas a descrição dos sinais e sintomas. 4,10,12 Acredita-se que o distúrbio da deglutição apresenta-se de forma heterogênea nos indivíduos, podendo a incidência ser mais expressiva, com um conjunto de sinais e sintomas disfágicos, ou de forma menos expressiva, apresentando apenas uma sintomatologia, inclusive podendo apresentar-se de forma silenciosa.…”

Dysphagia: Interprofessional Management, Impact, and Patient‐Centered Care

“…6 Spinal cord injury can cause dysphagia as well. [7][8][9] Neurodegenerative diseases and neuromuscular diseases, including but not limited to Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, muscular dystrophies, poliomyelitis, myasthenia gravis, and dementias, are other causes of dysphagia. 10 Dysphagia may be the result of structural lesions (eg, thryomegaly, cervical hypertosis/osteophytes, etc).…”

Traumatic cervical spinal cord injury: a prospective clinical study of laryngeal penetration and aspiration

“…Especially among cervically injured SCI patients, dysphagia is a relatively common complication. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Dysphagia is associated with many negative short-and long-term outcomes, such as pneumonia and other respiratory complications as well as malnutrition, dehydration, and reduced quality of life. [12][13][14][15] In addition, while SCI in general causes a substantial economic burden, the treatment of respiratory complications further raises hospital costs.…”

“…19 On the basis of the literature the incidence of dysphagia in cervical SCI patients varies from 16 to 80%. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] A summary of the previous studies on cervical SCI and dysphagia is presented in Table 1.…”