2020 Volume 37 Issue 3 Pages 430-434
Pneumonia can be a serious complication in the advanced stage of Parkinson disease (PD). However, there are few reports examining factors underlying the development of aspiration pneumonia in patients with PD. In this study, we examined factors associated with the development of pneumonia in PD patients. There were 24 patients with PD admitted to the Department of Neurology. The average age was 75.3 years and the average PD duration was 9.2 years.
Methods : The patients were divided into 2 groups (with or without pneumonia) and examined by videofluoroscopy during swallowing. The groups were compared for the following : age, PD duration, hospitalization, Hoehn–Yahr stage (Hoehn & Yahr : HY), albumin value, body mass index, mini mental state examination (MMSE), gait, peak cough flow (PCF) value, repetitive saliva swallowing test, expectoration, voice volume, swallowing function and silent aspiration.
Results : There were statistically significant differences in HY, PCF value, MMSE, gait, expectoration, voice volume, swallowing function, and silent aspiration. The logistic regression analysis was significant for PCF value (p<0.01), silent aspiration (p<0.01) and swallowing function (p<0.01) for the presence or absence of pneumonia in patients with PD.
Conclusion : We suggest that PCF is the useful related to the development of aspiration pneumonia in patients with PD.
