title: Flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing with sensory testing: patient characteristics and analysis of safety in 1,340 consecutive examinations.
abstract: Flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing with sensory testing (FEESST) is a comprehensive endoscopic assessment of the sensory and motor components of a swallow. Previous studies addressing patient safety issues with respect to FEESST included relatively small numbers of patients and paid almost no attention to patient characteristics. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of FEESST-related complications in the outpatient and inpatient settings and to analyze patient diagnoses that led to the performance of FEESST. We performed a prospective study of FEESST complications in 1,340 consecutive evaluations performed over a 4 1/2-year period. The primary outcome variables were incidence of epistaxis and airway compromise. The secondary outcome variable was underlying patient diagnoses. The incidence of epistaxis was 1 in 1,340 (0.07%). There were no instances of airway compromise. Stroke was the most common reason for the performance of FEESST (343; 25.6%), followed by cardiac-related dysphagia (298; 22.2%) following open heart surgery (169/298; 56.7%), heart attack, congestive heart failure, or new arrhythmia. The remaining causes were head and neck cancer (207; 15.4%), pulmonary disease (141; 10.5%), chronic neurologic disease (124; 9.3%), and acid reflux disease (80; 6.0%). We conclude that FEESST is a relatively safe procedure for the sensory and motor assessment of dysphagia in a cohort of patients with a wide variety of underlying diagnoses. The emergence of cardiac surgery as a common cause of dysphagia warrants further study.
authors.affiliation: Voice and Swallowing Center, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, Columbia University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Aviv
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murry
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zschommler
authors.forename: Manderly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gartner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000503:physiopathology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies