Lene Odgaard1, Mohit Kothari1. 1. a Research Unit, Hammel Neurorehabilitation Centre and University Research Clinic, Aarhus University , Hammel , Denmark.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of oral candidiasis (OC) in individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) and to evaluate the association of OC with improvement in dysphagia. DESIGN: Longitudinal observational study. METHODS: Individuals with ABI admitted to rehabilitation were recruited over a one-year period (n = 206 (59% with dysphagia)). OC-data were collected by clinical examinations and verified by cultivation/microscopy in every 3 weeks during first 10 weeks of admission. Dysphagia improvement was defined by: 1) first positive change in food consistency, 2) initiation of at least soft food consistency. Individuals with/without OC were compared using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: The overall OC prevalence in all individuals, in individuals with dysphagia and in individuals not treated with antifungal agents were 32.5%, 43.4% and 29.7%, respectively. The OC prevalence was 24.8% at one week after admission and reduced to 10.1% ten weeks after admission. Adjusted hazard ratios for improvement in dysphagia were 0.64-0.77 in OC compared to without OC, though not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of OC was high at admission but reduced during rehabilitation. Though non-significant, the negative trend between OC and improvement in dysphagia suggest that OC may delay rehabilitation of dysphagia.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of oral candidiasis (OC) in individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) and to evaluate the association of OC with improvement in dysphagia. DESIGN: Longitudinal observational study. METHODS: Individuals with ABI admitted to rehabilitation were recruited over a one-year period (n = 206 (59% with dysphagia)). OC-data were collected by clinical examinations and verified by cultivation/microscopy in every 3 weeks during first 10 weeks of admission. Dysphagia improvement was defined by: 1) first positive change in food consistency, 2) initiation of at least soft food consistency. Individuals with/without OC were compared using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: The overall OC prevalence in all individuals, in individuals with dysphagia and in individuals not treated with antifungal agents were 32.5%, 43.4% and 29.7%, respectively. The OC prevalence was 24.8% at one week after admission and reduced to 10.1% ten weeks after admission. Adjusted hazard ratios for improvement in dysphagia were 0.64-0.77 in OC compared to without OC, though not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of OC was high at admission but reduced during rehabilitation. Though non-significant, the negative trend between OC and improvement in dysphagia suggest that OC may delay rehabilitation of dysphagia.