For a study, researchers sought to understand that aspiration pneumonia can occur in people with severe cerebral palsy, which can significantly affect their prognosis and call for prompt identification and treatment. Because it was challenging to estimate the risk of pneumonia, they emphasized swallowing frequency as a gauge of daily swallowing function. By properly transferring the food, saliva, and liquids gathered in the pharynx towards the esophagus to prevent aspiration and entry into the trachea, the swallowing motion safeguards the airway. As a result, there may be a connection between the frequency of swallowing and the incidence of pneumonia. In this study, they looked at how often people with severe cerebral palsy swallow and if they have ever had pneumonia. About 57 people with cerebral palsy were involved in this study. To quantify each patient’s swallowing frequency, 3 different tests were administered, and the repeatability was evaluated by computing the intraclass correlation coefficient. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was also used to examine the relationship between frequent swallowing and a history of pneumonia. While swallowing frequency varied among participants, it did not vary among people (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.941). Additionally, the hourly swallowing frequencies were 12.2 ± 12.2 and 27.0 ± 20.4 in the patient groups with and without a history of pneumonia, respectively (P<0.001). Swallowing frequency (odds ratio: 10.489, 95% CI: 2.706–40.663, P=0.001). In patients with severe cerebral palsy, the swallowing frequency could be used as a marker to evaluate the risk of dysphagia and pneumonia.
Source: bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-022-03547-0
