2011 Volume 15 Issue 2 Pages 183-189
[Purpose] We evaluated the risk factors for aspiration pneumonia in patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID).
[Subjects and Methods] We performed a videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) and tartaric acid reflex cough test (RCT) in 32 SMID patients with clinically apparent aspiration and studied the risk factors for aspiration pneumonia.
Based on clinical symptoms, the subjects were divided into the following two groups: the “permission group” and the “non-permission group.” The permission group included patients who experienced choking and wheezing and produced sputum during meals but had no history of fever. The non-permission group included patients who exhibited aspiration symptoms during meals and ＞3 episodes of fever in half a year. The two groups were compared for individual factors of VFSS and tartaric acid RCT.
[Results] In the VFSS, 20 (62.5%) of the 32 patients showed aspiration, all of which were silent. These 20 patients were categorized into the permission group (n＝10) and non-permission group (n＝10). No significant difference was observed in the factors determined by the VFSS. On the other hand, in the comparison of tartaric acid RCT, 100% in the permission group showed a reaction, whereas 50% in the non-permission group showed no reaction. A significant difference was found between the two groups (p＜0.01).
[Conclusion] These results suggest that the tartaric acid RCT is effective for detecting the risk of aspiration pneumonia in SMID patients.
