Airway invasion in non-neurologically ill patients with dysphagia: Contributing factors and associated problems during swallowing process. A retrospective observational study

Dysphagia can occur among patients receiving medical care despite having no history of neurologic disease. The current study aimed to investigate factors contributing to airway invasion among non-neurologically ill patients with dysphagia. This retrospective study included 52 non-neurologically ill patients who complained of swallowing difficulty and consulted the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine for videofluoroscopic swallowing studies between January 2018 and June 2019. Patients were then divided into 2 groups according to the presence of airway invasion (penetration or aspiration) based on videofluoroscopic swallowing study findings, with group 1 (n = 26) consisting of patients with airway invasion and group 2 (n = 26) consisting of those without airway invasion. Demographic information, functional ambulation ability within the past 3 months, presence of community acquired pneumonia (CAP), nutritional status, degree of dehydration, history of intensive care unit stay, history of endotracheal intubation, and videofluoroscopic dysphagia scale were reviewed. Patients with airway invasion exhibited decreased functional ambulation ability, greater incidence of CAP, and lower serum albumin concentration than patients without airway invasion (P < .05). Airway invasion among non-neurologically ill patients was significantly associated with functional ambulation ability [odds ratio (OR), 3.57; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.14–11.19; P = .03], serum albumin concentration under 3.5 g/dL (OR, 4.90; 95% CI, 1.39–17.32; P = .01), and presence of CAP (OR, 5.06; 95% CI, 1.56–16.44; P = .01). Groups 1 and 2 had a videofluoroscopic dysphagia scale score of 37.18 and 16.17, respectively (P < .05). Moreover, bolus formation, tongue-to-palate contact, premature bolus loss, vallecular residue, coating of pharyngeal wall, and aspiration score differed significantly between both groups (P < .05). Airway invasion among non-neurologically ill patients was related to decreased functional ambulation ability, lower serum albumin concentration, and presence of CAP. The results presented herein can help guide clinical management aimed at preventing airway invasion among non-neurologically ill patients.