2021 Volume 25 Issue 1 Pages 33-43
Goal: This research aimed to shed light on factors influencing aspiration pneumonia risk among psychiatric hospital in-patients capable of taking their meals in the ward canteen and to obtain suggestions for support to prevent aspiration pneumonia.
Method: The subjects of the research were 100 patients, aged 20 and 85, capable of taking their meals in the ward canteen, out of approximately 400 psychiatric in-patients in a psychiatric hospital. The subjects were divided into high, medium and low risk by aspiration pneumonia risk assessment and the following parameters were investigated and studied statistically for each patient in the group: base attributes, daily life situation, meal-taking situation, nutritional situation (body mass index (BMI), geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) ), and blood biochemistry findings (total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Ht), and white blood cells (WBC)).
Results: There were 0 patients in the high-risk group, 24 in the medium-risk group and 76 in the lowrisk group. A comparison between groups showed that age was significantly higher in the medium-risk group. BMI, GNRI, Ht, Hb, peak expiratory flow (PEF), and repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST) were significantly lower in the medium-risk group. In the Spearman rank correlation coefficient, a correlation was found for age, BMI, GNRI, Alb, Ht, Hb, PEF and RSST. In binary logistic regression analysis, BMI, PEF and RSST were obtained as independent variables.
Conclusion: It is suggested that BMI, PEF and RSST are factors that influence aspiration pneumonia risk among psychiatric hospital in-patients capable of taking their meals in the ward canteen. It seems that efforts to provide support to improve nutritional situation, respiratory function and swallowing function are essential for the prevention of aspiration pneumonia.
