title: Clinical prognostic indicators of dysphagia following prolonged orotracheal intubation in ICU patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The development of postextubation swallowing dysfunction is well documented in the literature with high prevalence in most studies. However, there are relatively few studies with specific outcomes that focus on the follow-up of these patients until hospital discharge. The purpose of our study was to determine prognostic indicators of dysphagia in ICU patients submitted to prolonged orotracheal intubation (OTI).
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective, observational cohort study from 2010 to 2012 of all patients over 18 years of age admitted to a university hospital ICU who were submitted to prolonged OTI and subsequently received a bedside swallow evaluation (BSE) by a speech pathologist. The prognostic factors analyzed included dysphagia severity rate at the initial swallowing assessment and at hospital discharge, age, time to initiate oral feeding, amount of individual treatment, number of orotracheal intubations, intubation time and length of hospital stay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After we excluded patients with neurologic diseases, tracheostomy, esophageal dysphagia and those who were submitted to surgical procedures involving the head and neck, our study sample size was 148 patients. The logistic regression model was used to examine the relationships between independent variables. In the univariate analyses, we found that statistically significant prognostic indicators of dysphagia included dysphagia severity rate at the initial swallowing assessment, time to initiate oral feeding and amount of individual treatment. In the multivariate analysis, we found that dysphagia severity rate at the initial swallowing assessment remained associated with good treatment outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Studies of prognostic indicators in different populations with dysphagia can contribute to the design of more effective procedures when evaluating, treating, and monitoring individuals with this type of disorder. Additionally, this study stresses the importance of the initial assessment ratings.
authors.forename: Danielle Pedroni
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: Fernanda Chiarion
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Sassi
authors.forename: Laura Davison
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Mangilli
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zilberstein
authors.forename: Claudia Regina Furquim
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: de Andrade
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome