A study on the criteria for resuming oral ingestion in aspiration pneumonia patients

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25860507
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General internal medicine(including psychosomatic medicine)
• Research Institution: Kobe University (2015); Jichi Medical University (2013-2014)
• Principal Investigator: Kenzaka Tsuneaki 神戸大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (90437492)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 誤嚥性肺炎 / 経口摂取 / 食事再開 / 意識レベル / 嚥下評価

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A nationwide questionnaire survey found that 89.4% of medical institutions ordered temporary fasting when admitting patients with aspiration pneumonia. Items used by many physicians as criteria for resuming oral ingestion included consciousness level, SpO2, judgment of the physician in charge, body temperature, completion of swallowing function evaluation, mental state and respiration rate, among others.
In actual clinical situations, however, factors that were related to re-aspiration during hospitalization included starting meal intake after completion of swallowing function evaluation, a drop in consciousness level at the time of starting meals, and shadows covering over two-thirds of one lung on chest X-ray. Other items relating to the clinical stability of pneumonia showed no significant relationships with episodes of re-aspiration during hospitalization. If a patient’s consciousness level is favorable, physicians should consider starting meals at an early stage.

Free Research Field

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