Efficacy of rehabilitative management of dysphagia.

Efficacy of treatment for dysphagia in medically stable patients was defined as a reduction in the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia. Aspiration pneumonia was diagnosed by radiographic and/or laboratory analysis and was identified by retrospective chart review. Two groups of treated patients (48 without and 13 with a history of aspiration pneumonia) were compared to a group of untreated patients. There were no statistically significant differences in the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia in the treated groups, but both treated groups were subject to significantly less aspiration pneumonia than the untreated group. Measures of severity indicated that even mildly dysphagic patients were at risk for the development of aspiration pneumonia, and even severely dysphagic patients responded to rehabilitative management of their swallowing problems. Efficacy of treating swallowing was demonstrated, and a general outcome criterion for treatment was proposed.