A bedside swallowing screen for the identification of post-extubation dysphagia on the intensive care unit – validation of the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS)—ICU

Purpose Screening for dysphagia at the intensive care unit (ICU) soon after extubation can prevent aspiration, pneumonia, lower mortality, and shorten re‑feeding interval. This study aimed to modify the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS), which was developed for acute stroke patients, and to validate it for extubated patients in the ICU. Methods In this prospective study, forty‑five patients who had been intubated for at least 24 h were recruited consecutively at the earliest 24 h after extubation. The modified GUSS‑ICU was performed twice by two speech and language therapists independently. Concurrently, gold standard the flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) was performed by an otorhinolaryngologist. Measurements were conducted within a three‑hour period; all testers were blinded to each other’s results. Results According to FEES, 36 of 45 (80%) participants were diagnosed with dysphagia; 13 of those were severe, 12 moderate, and 11 mild. Compared to FEES, the GUSS‑ICU predicted dysphagia well (area under the curve for the initial rater pair: 0.923, 95% CI 0.832–1.000 and 0.923, 95% CI 0.836 ‑1.000 for the second rater pair). The sensitivity was 91.7% (95% CI 77.5–98.3%) and 94.4% (95% CI 81.3–99.3%); the specificity was 88.9% (51.8–99.7%) and 66.7% (29.9–92.5%); the positive predictive values were 97.1% (83.8–99.5%) and 91.9% (81.7–96.6%), and the negative predictive values were 72.7% (46.8–89%) and 75% (41.9–92.6%) for the first and second rater pairs, respectively. Dysphagia severity classification according to FEES and GUSS‑ICU correlated strongly (Spearman’s rho: 0.61 for rater 1 and 0.60 for rater 2, p < 0.001). Agreement by all testers was good (Krippendorffs Alpha: 0.73). The interrater reliability showed good agreement (Cohen`s Kappa: 0.84, p < 0.001). Conclusion The GUSS‑ICU is a simple, reliable, and valid multi‑consistency bedside swallowing screen to identify post‑extubation dysphagia at the ICU

Management of swallowing disorders in ICU patients - A multinational expert opinion.

BACKGROUND Dysphagia is common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, yet it remains underrecognized and often unmanaged despite being associated with life-threatening complications, prolonged ICU stays and hospitalization. PURPOSE To propose an expert opinion for the diagnosis and management of dysphagia developed from evidence-based clinical recommendations and practitioner insights. METHODS A multinational group of dysphagia and critical care experts conducted a literature review using a modified ACCORD methodology. Based on a fusion of the available evidence and the panel's clinical experience, an expert opinion on best practice management was developed. RESULTS The panel recommends adopting clinical algorithms intended to promote standardized, high-quality care that triggers timely systematic dysphagia screening, assessment, and treatment of extubated and tracheostomized patients in the ICU. CONCLUSIONS Given the lack of robust scientific evidence, two clinical management algorithms are proposed for use by multidisciplinary teams to improve early systematic detection and effective management of dysphagia in ICU patients. Additionally, emerging therapeutic options such as neurostimulation have the potential to improve the quality of ICU dysphagia care

European Stroke Organization and European Society for Swallowing Disorders guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of post-stroke dysphagia

Post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) is present in more than 50% of acute stroke patients, increases the risk of complications, in particular aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and dehydration, and is linked to poor outcome and mortality. The aim of this guideline is to assist all members of the multidisciplinary team in their management of patients with PSD. These guidelines were developed based on the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) standard operating procedure and followed the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. An interdisciplinary working group identified 20 relevant questions, performed systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the literature, assessed the quality of the available evidence and wrote evidence-based recommendations. Expert opinion was provided if not enough evidence was available to provide recommendations based on the GRADE approach. We found moderate quality of evidence to recommend dysphagia screening in all stroke patients to prevent post-stroke pneumonia and to early mortality and low quality of evidence to suggest dysphagia assessment in stroke patients having been identified at being at risk of PSD. We found low to moderate quality of evidence for a variety of treatment options to improve swallowing physiology and swallowing safety. These options include dietary interventions, behavioural swallowing treatment including acupuncture, nutritional interventions, oral health care, different pharmacological agents and different types of neurostimulation treatment. Some of the studied interventions also had an impact on other clinical endpoints such as feedings status or pneumonia. Overall, further randomized trials are needed to improve the quality of evidence for the treatment of PSD

Diagnosis and treatment of neurogenic dysphagia - S1 guideline of the German Society of Neurology.

INTRODUCTION Neurogenic dysphagia defines swallowing disorders caused by diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, neuromuscular transmission, or muscles. Neurogenic dysphagia is one of the most common and at the same time most dangerous symptoms of many neurological diseases. Its most important sequelae include aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and dehydration, and affected patients more often require long-term care and are exposed to an increased mortality. Based on a systematic pubmed research of related original papers, review articles, international guidelines and surveys about the diagnostics and treatment of neurogenic dysphagia, a consensus process was initiated, which included dysphagia experts from 27 medical societies. RECOMMENDATIONS This guideline consists of 53 recommendations covering in its first part the whole diagnostic spectrum from the dysphagia specific medical history, initial dysphagia screening and clinical assessment, to more refined instrumental procedures, such as flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, the videofluoroscopic swallowing study and high-resolution manometry. In addition, specific clinical scenarios are captured, among others the management of patients with nasogastric and tracheotomy tubes. The second part of this guideline is dedicated to the treatment of neurogenic dysphagia. Apart from dietary interventions and behavioral swallowing treatment, interventions to improve oral hygiene, pharmacological treatment options, different modalities of neurostimulation as well as minimally invasive and surgical therapies are dealt with. CONCLUSIONS The diagnosis and treatment of neurogenic dysphagia is challenging and requires a joined effort of different medical professions. While the evidence supporting the implementation of dysphagia screening is rather convincing, further trials are needed to improve the quality of evidence for more refined methods of dysphagia diagnostics and, in particular, the different treatment options of neurogenic dysphagia. The present article is an abridged and translated version of the guideline recently published online ( https://www.awmf.org/uploads/tx_szleitlinien/030-111l_Neurogene-Dysphagie_2020-05.pdf )

Assessment of dysphagia after stroke -state of the art and future directions

After a stroke, most patients have dysphagia, which can lead to aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and adverse functional outcomes. Protective interventions aimed at reducing these complications remain the cornerstone of treatment. Dietary adjustments and oral hygiene help mitigate the risk of aspiration pneumonia, and nutritional supplementation, including tube feeding, might be needed to prevent malnutrition. Rehabilitative interventions aim to enhance swallowing function, with different behavioural strategies showing promise in small studies. Investigations have explored the use of pharmaceutical agents such as capsaicin and other Transient-Receptor-Potential-Vanilloid-1 (TRPV-1) sensory receptor agonists, which alter sensory perception in the pharynx. Neurostimulation techniques, such as transcranial direct current stimulation, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, and pharyngeal electrical stimulation, might promote neuroplasticity within the sensorimotor swallowing network. Further advancements in the understanding of central and peripheral sensorimotor mechanisms in patients with dysphagia after a stroke, and during their recovery, will contribute to optimising treatment protocols