Title: Role of the respiratory therapist in the screening and evaluation of swallowing disorders in ICU patients

Abstract:

Introduction:

Swallowing disorders are frequent in patients with an artificial airway (tracheostomy / orotracheal tube) in Intensive Care Unit (UCI). Dysphagia is associated with poor outcomes such as malnutrition, dehydration, increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, delay in resuming oral intake, prolonged stay in ICU and hospital, increased morbidity and mortality with the consequent increase in costs in health. The role of the respiratory therapist as a member of the multidisciplinary team of the ICU includes respiratory care, physical rehabilitation, and also the evaluation of swallowing. Early detection of swallowing disorders in critically ill patients is important for the decision-making process regarding feeding and oral drug administration. However, no information on this issue has been published in Argentina. Objective: A national survey was carried out in Argentina about the forms of evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of swallowing disorders in patients with critical illness. Results: 566 participants were included. The results showed that swallowing assessment in the ICU is performed by respiratory therapists for 60% of the respondents. Furthermore, although the majority of the surveyed consider that dysphagia occurs frequently and that early detection is very important, half of them do not carry out a protocolized evaluation or a routine therapeutic approach. Graphics In this sense, there is no universally accepted and validated screening and evaluation test for dysphagia in this critically ill patient population. Although currently there have been published recommendations of experts from scientific societies of our country that are useful to us in daily clinical practice Conclusion: we encourage ICU´s work team to develop clinical evaluation protocols that allow early detection of patients at risk of dysphagia, to which we can provide appropriate therapeutic interventions.

Biography:

Maria Eugenia Catini works as a Respiratory Therapist in ICU in Juan A Fernandez Hospital and in Olivos Clinics in Buenos Aires Argentina. She recently has published the first national survey in her country about swallowing disorders in critical ill patients. She wants to show the importance of the role of the physical therapists in the multidisciplinary UCI team.