Measurement of swallowing in patients with sore throats.
Swallowing function was measured using a simple timed test in 20 healthy subjects with a sore throat (16 women, median age [range] 27.5 years [19.3-44.5]) and the test was repeated following recovery. All three indices from the test average volume per swallow (ml), average time per swallow (s) and swallowing capacity (mls-1) were significantly improved following recovery (P = 0.0001, 0.041 and 0.0001 respectively). There was no significant change in respiratory function between the two visits. The indices from a timed test of swallowing are sensitive enough to detect changes occurring due to a sore throat; the test provides a simple bedside technique for quantifying swallowing and may be useful in measuring the rate of recovery from swallowing problems and in assessing the effect of different treatments on swallowing function.
Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Wales, College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
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Hughes
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Wiles
D000328:Adult; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012720:Severity of Illness Index