Dysphagia in patients with acute cervical spinal cord injury

Abstract

Study design Longitudinal observational. Objectives (a) To establish a reliable and feasible method to indicate the presence and severity of dysphagia and (b) to establish a course of treatment in individuals presenting with cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). Setting Spinal Cord Injury Center, Werner Wicker Klinik, Bad Wildungen, Germany. Patients and methods This is a cross-sectional study of 51 patients consecutively admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the SCI in-patient service. They were subjected to neurological and fiberoptic endoscopic examination of swallowing (FEES). Data concerning artificial respiration, presence of tracheostomy, oral or non-oral feeding were obtained from the medical charts. Statistics were carried out by a calculation of a nonparametric correlation (Spearman). Results Five levels of dysphagia could be distinguished. At levels 1 and 2, patients presented with a severe impairment of swallowing, in level 3 aspiration was met by a powerful coughing reflex, level 4 comprised a laryngeal edema and/or a mild aspiration of fluids only and at level 5 laryngeal function was not compromised. On admission, 20 patients with CSCI presented with mild (level 4), eight with moderate (level 3) and 13 with severe dysphagia (levels 1 and 2). In 10 no signs of dysphagia could be detected. After treatment, level 1 was no longer detected, one patient showed level 2, two patients showed level 3, all other patients showed only mild or no signs of dysphagia any longer…