2017 Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 99-105
Purpose: Suffocation due to food is a major complication of dysphagia but reports on such accidents at hospitals are rare. The purpose of this study was first, to analyze cases of suffocation in hospitalized patients, and second, to determine the factors related to suffocation for future risk management.
Materials and Methods: Cases of suffocation due to food reported to the Division of Medical Safety at our hospital were retrospectively studied for 3 years from 20xx. In this study, the cases were limited to the incident-accident level of more than 3b. One hundred and thirty patients matched by age and hospitalized department to the suffocation group were randomly selected as controls in this period.
Results: Five suffocation cases were reported; two were hospitalized in orthopedics and three in internal medicine. The mean age of these cases was 83.4 years old, ranging from 64 to 94. Four out of the five suffocation cases had a past history suggesting the possibility of declining swallowing function and all five cases could eat on their own. Activity of daily living of the suffocation cases was mostly at the boundary between independence and requiring assistance. Accidents of suffocation happened in the early phase of hospitalization period (average days from admission was 9.2). All cases ate a regular or slightly soft diet, not a swallowing-regulated diet. In the suffocation group, four out of five cases (80%) who were taking diuretics had a significantly higher rate than in the control group, 31 out of 130 patients (23.8%). 11,381 patients over the age of 65 were hospitalized during this period and thus the probability of suffering a suffocation accident was 0.04%, almost one out of 2,500 patients.
Conclusion: Suffocation accidents among inpatients are likely to occur in cases who eat meals independently, have a past history suggesting the possibility of dysphagia, eat a regular or almost regular diet, and are in the early phase of hospitalization.
