Abstract
We report on referrals to our department from other departments for swallowing function assessment. We investigated the data of 338 cases in which videoendoscopic evaluation of swallowing was performed at the request of other departments at Kindai University Hospital between September 2016 and August 2017.
The mean age of the patients was 72.4 years old. About 70% of the patients were 70 years old or older. The largest number of requests came from the Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, followed by the Department of Neurology. The most common disease upon hospital admission was pneumonia, followed by malignant disease. Of all the requests, 72% were to determine whether oral ingestion was possible without pneumonia. After the assessments, when the patients were examined to determine if they had pneumonia or not, it was found that 31 patients had aspiration pneumonia. The results were the worst in the 23% of patients in whom it was suggested that “direct therapy is possible.” The important thing for each department was to know, more than the etiological or pathological diagnosis of dysphagia, whether the patient was or was not capable of oral intake. Our department receives many requests for such assessment from other departments. Accurate assessment of a large number of cases is necessary, but many issues still remain to be resolved in ensuring proper maintenance of the swallowing function and prevention of pneumonia.
