title: Dysphagia in infants after open heart procedures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and the clinical predictors of dysphagia and to determine the characteristics of videofluoroscopic swallowing study findings in infants after open heart procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a retrospective review of 146 infants who underwent open heart surgery. The infants with dysphagia were compared with those without dysphagia. The videofluoroscopic swallowing study findings of the infants with dysphagia were also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 146 infants who underwent open heart surgery, 35 (24.0%) had dysphagia symptoms. The infants with dysphagia had lower body weight at operation, more malformation syndromes, longer operation times, and more complex operations than did the infants without dysphagia. In addition, the infants with dysphagia required more time to achieve full oral feeding and had longer hospital stays. Thirty-three infants underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing study: 32 (97.0%) exhibited at least one abnormal finding among the videofluoroscopic swallowing study parameters and 21 (63.6%) exhibited tracheal aspiration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the high rate of aspiration in the infants who underwent open heart procedures, monitoring and prompt recognition of the signs and the risk factors of dysphagia may substantially improve infant care with oral feeding and reduce the duration of hospital stays.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sook-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Sang-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: June
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Tae-Gook
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Hee Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.forename: Jeong-Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kwon
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers