BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of a routine protocol for evaluation of oropharyngeal aspiration after thoracotomy for pulmonary resection. METHODS: Demographic, operative, and outcomes data were collected prospectively for consecutive patients undergoing thoracotomy for pulmonary resection starting in April 2005. Starting on postoperative day one, patients underwent evaluation by a licensed speech therapist before per os intake. Patients failing clinical examination were referred for radiographic evaluation. Diets were advanced on the basis of results from both clinical and radiographic evaluation. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Student's t test, and chi2 test when appropriate. RESULTS: One hundred forty patients were prospectively evaluated during this period. Thirty-two patients (22.9%) failed initial clinical swallowing evaluation and were referred for dynamic videofluoroscopic esophagram. Twenty-five patients (17.8%) had evidence of potential oropharyngeal aspiration on videofluoroscopic esophagram. Only 1 patient (0.7%) aspirated after a negative clinical evaluation. Univariate risk factor analysis revealed that patients demonstrating aspiration were older (67.7 +/- 1.6 years versus 64.4 +/- 1.1 years; p = 0.10) and had a higher incidence of head and neck malignancy (p < 0.001). Patients without radiographic aspiration had a shorter median hospital stay when compared with those who did (6 days versus 5 days). CONCLUSIONS: Aspiration after thoracotomy for pulmonary resection may affect nearly 20% of patients and is likely underrepresented in the surgical literature. The institution of a protocol to evaluate risk of aspiration has characterized patients at high risk and led to an increased awareness of the potential for aspiration after thoracotomy.
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of a routine protocol for evaluation of oropharyngeal aspiration after thoracotomy for pulmonary resection. METHODS: Demographic, operative, and outcomes data were collected prospectively for consecutive patients undergoing thoracotomy for pulmonary resection starting in April 2005. Starting on postoperative day one, patients underwent evaluation by a licensed speech therapist before per os intake. Patients failing clinical examination were referred for radiographic evaluation. Diets were advanced on the basis of results from both clinical and radiographic evaluation. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Student's t test, and chi2 test when appropriate. RESULTS: One hundred forty patients were prospectively evaluated during this period. Thirty-two patients (22.9%) failed initial clinical swallowing evaluation and were referred for dynamic videofluoroscopic esophagram. Twenty-five patients (17.8%) had evidence of potential oropharyngeal aspiration on videofluoroscopic esophagram. Only 1 patient (0.7%) aspirated after a negative clinical evaluation. Univariate risk factor analysis revealed that patients demonstrating aspiration were older (67.7 +/- 1.6 years versus 64.4 +/- 1.1 years; p = 0.10) and had a higher incidence of head and neck malignancy (p < 0.001). Patients without radiographic aspiration had a shorter median hospital stay when compared with those who did (6 days versus 5 days). CONCLUSIONS: Aspiration after thoracotomy for pulmonary resection may affect nearly 20% of patients and is likely underrepresented in the surgical literature. The institution of a protocol to evaluate risk of aspiration has characterized patients at high risk and led to an increased awareness of the potential for aspiration after thoracotomy.
Authors: Carmen Sílvia Valente Barbas; Alexandre Marini Ísola; Augusto Manoel de Carvalho Farias; Alexandre Biasi Cavalcanti; Ana Maria Casati Gama; Antonio Carlos Magalhães Duarte; Arthur Vianna; Ary Serpa Neto; Bruno de Arruda Bravim; Bruno do Valle Pinheiro; Bruno Franco Mazza; Carlos Roberto Ribeiro de Carvalho; Carlos Toufen Júnior; Cid Marcos Nascimento David; Corine Taniguchi; Débora Dutra da Silveira Mazza; Desanka Dragosavac; Diogo Oliveira Toledo; Eduardo Leite Costa; Eliana Bernadete Caser; Eliezer Silva; Fabio Ferreira Amorim; Felipe Saddy; Filomena Regina Barbosa Gomes Galas; Gisele Sampaio Silva; Gustavo Faissol Janot de Matos; João Claudio Emmerich; Jorge Luis dos Santos Valiatti; José Mario Meira Teles; Josué Almeida Victorino; Juliana Carvalho Ferreira; Luciana Passuello do Vale Prodomo; Ludhmila Abrahão Hajjar; Luiz Claudio Martins; Luis Marcelo Sá Malbouisson; Mara Ambrosina de Oliveira Vargas; Marco Antonio Soares Reis; Marcelo Brito Passos Amato; Marcelo Alcântara Holanda; Marcelo Park; Marcia Jacomelli; Marcos Tavares; Marta Cristina Paulette Damasceno; Murillo Santucci César Assunção; Moyzes Pinto Coelho Duarte Damasceno; Nazah Cherif Mohamed Youssef; Paulo José Zimmermann Teixeira; Pedro Caruso; Péricles Almeida Delfino Duarte; Octavio Messeder; Raquel Caserta Eid; Ricardo Goulart Rodrigues; Rodrigo Francisco de Jesus; Ronaldo Adib Kairalla; Sandra Justino; Sergio Nogueira Nemer; Simone Barbosa Romero; Verônica Moreira Amado Journal: Rev Bras Ter Intensiva Date: 2014 Jul-Sep