PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Anna Bartolini
AU  - Guido Vagheggini
AU  - Eugenia Panait
AU  - Tommaso Solli
AU  - Tania Pacioni
AU  - Martina Salvini
AU  - Anna Zito
TI  - Bedside evaluation of swallowing function in prolonged weaning patients. Significance of a targeted speech rehabilitation in weaning outcome
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2020.404
DP  - 2020 Sep 07
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 404
VI  - 56
IP  - suppl 64
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/56/suppl_64/404.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/56/suppl_64/404.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2020 Sep 07; 56
AB  - Swallowing disorders may affect prognosis of prolonged weaning patients (PW) by facilitating respiratory tract infections and preventing removal of tracheal cannula. A dedicated speech rehabilitation (SR) included in the weaning programme (WP) may improve outcome.Aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA) in PW. The MASA consists of 24 weighted items, with a score 170-200 defined as no abnormality.Thirty-five consecutive tracheostomized PW patients (20m, age 69,9±12,5) underwent MASA assessment and were prospectively studied, until discharge, to evaluate the significance of MASA score and the outcomes of WP and SR.At admission, 17 patients received invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) for >12h/day; 13 for up to 12 h/day, 4 received only oxygen supplementation, three patients had gastrostomy (PEG). Score MASA was ≥170 in twenty patients (13m; age 69,7±12,7): (G1). Fourteen patients (7m; age 70,1±12,6) resulted with abnormal MASA evaluation (G2).One out of 14 G2 patients deceased, one was partially and 12 were fully weaned from IMV. All G1 patients were fully weaned from IMV, 3 out of 20 required non-invasive ventilation after discharge.Decannulation was possible in 24 patients were decannulated, 19 out of 20 (95%) in G1, and 5 out of 14 (35,7%) in G2 (P=.002). Five patients in G2 had PEG at discharge. Eight (57%) patients in G2, and 20 (100%) in G1 recovered oral alimentation after SR.These preliminary results seems to confirm the applicability of MASA in PW to identify patients with low risk of swallowing disorders and with better outcome after WP and SR.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 404.This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).