Investigation of Transit Time of Bolus through the Oral Cavity Using Gelatin Jelly and Thickened Water

Abstract

【Purpose】 Swallowing maneuvers using foods are often started with jelly, for which sliced jelly is recommended. We investigated the differences of bolus transition from the oral cavity to pharynx between solid and liquid foods, using gelatin jelly and thickened water.

【Subjects and methods】 The subjects were 141 patients who underwent video-fluorography（VF）from January 2005 through December 2005. There were 77 males and 64 females, with average age of 74 years. The transit time of bolus from the oral cavity to the pharynx was measured by VF images. The posture for taking foods was set at 30-45 degrees and at 60-90 degrees from the horizontal. Gelatin jelly and thickened water with viscosity of 750 mPa・s were used. In six patients with oral swallowing phase disorder, the transit time of sliced jelly and crushed jelly from the oral cavity to the pharynx were measured. Which type of jelly was better for these patients to perform swallowing maneuvers was also investigated.

【Results】 The transit time of jelly was 7.7±15.2 seconds and that of water was 3.8±8.8 seconds. Water was transferred more quickly than jelly (n ＝ 141, p＜0.01). In the investigation of the relationship between the posture for taking foods and the transit time of jelly and thickened water, the transit time of jelly was 8.6±17.4 seconds and that of thickened water was 3.6±6.8 seconds at 30-45 degrees, while the transit time of jelly was 7.0 ± 13.5 seconds and that of thickened water was 3.9 ± 10.0 seconds at 60-90 degrees. The transit time of thickened water was shorter than that of jelly at any posture for taking foods (p＜0.05). In the analysis of transit time of sliced jelly and crushed jelly, the transit time of sliced jelly was 22.5±8.0 seconds and that of crushed jelly was 15.5±8.5 seconds. The crushed jelly was transferred from the oral cavity to the pharynx more quickly than the sliced jelly (n ＝ 6, p＜0.05).

【Conclusion】 The thickened water was transferred from the oral cavity to the pharynx more quickly than jelly. In the patients with oral swallowing phase disorder, crushed jelly was transferred more quickly than sliced jelly. Liquid foods might be more suitable than solid foods for swallowing maneuvers in patients with oral swallowing phase disorders.