Effectiveness of Therapy on Post-Extubation Dysphagia: Clinical and Electromyographic Findings

INTRODUCTION: Patients who require prolonged endotracheal intubation (>48 hours) are at risk of dysphagia. Speech-language pathologists should perform swallowing exercises after extubation due to the high probability of developing aspiration pneumonia. There are no studies describing the use of swallowing techniques employed in post-extubation therapy aided by surface electromyography. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of swallowing function therapy in extubated patients after prolonged orotracheal intubation by means of clinical and electromyographic evaluation. METHODS: A total of 15 patients were enrolled in this study (average age 48.6 ± 16.5 years). The study was carried out in three phases: (1) Clinical and electromyographic evaluation using the Dysphagia Risk Assessment Protocol following dysphagia scores criteria, and the measurement of the suprahyoid muscles amplitude (μV) expressed by root mean square (RMS), respectively; (2) swallowing rehabilitation program; and (3) reevaluation of patients after therapy. The Wilcoxon paired test assuming a significance level of 5% was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: By means of the swallowing scale, it was verified that patients suffered from severe oropharyngeal dysphagia at the first evaluation (80%), but the rehabilitation therapy reduced clinical signs, persistent only in one patient (6.7%) post-therapy, thus, improving swallowing. Significant differences, pre- and post-therapy, for suprahyoid muscles during maximal voluntary isometric contractions of right (P = .0067) and left (P = .0215), saliva swallowing by right (P = .0413) and left (P = .0151), and liquid swallowing by right (P = .0479) and left (P = .0215) sides, were found, as shown by electromyography. CONCLUSIONS: Swallowing exercises carried out by extubated patients after prolonged orotracheal intubation increased neuromuscular recruitment of suprahyoid muscles involved with swallowing and reduced dysphagia levels.