2010 Volume 14 Issue 3 Pages 212-218
Purpose: The participation of dentists in the nutrition support team (NST) of acute-care hospitals, such as university hospitals, enables assessment of oral function and dysphagia rehabilitation, which is required for initiation of oral feeding.
The purpose of this study was to elucidate the impact of oral functions on feeding methods and the role of dentists in NST.
Methods: The study population comprised 80 patients who consulted the NST of our hospital for malnutrition, between December 2005 and November 2008; clinical-statistical analysis was performed for these patients. The relationships between oral feeding, oral function, and consultations with dentists were analyzed by logistic regression analysis.
Results: The 80 patients were mostly elderly persons, and their primary diseases were mostly head and neck tumors. In 56% of the patients, nutrition was provided only through tube feeding, and no oral nutrition was given. Of the 80 patients, 64% had poor oral hygiene, and 42% had oral soft tissue disorders such as stomatitis. Logistic regression analysis of the impact of oral function on oral feeding revealed that the following factors could be used as significant variables: dysphagia, oral soft tissue disorders, and history of aspiration pneumonia (p＜0.05). In addition, logistic regression analysis of consultations with dentists revealed that the following factors could be used as significant variables: poor oral hygiene, dysphagia, and tracheotomy (p＜0.05).
Conclusion: These results suggest that oral function disorders such as dysphagia and stomatitis affect the nutrition method used for hospitalized patients and that participation of dentists in NST is advantageous for oral assessment and dysphagia rehabilitation.
