European Society for Swallowing Disorders: European Union Geriatric Medicine Society white paper: oropharyngeal dysphagia as a geriatric syndrome

Baijens, Laura W.J., Clavé, Pere, Cras, Patrick, Ekberg, Olle, Forster, Alexandre, Kolb, Gerald F., Leners, Jean Claude, Masiero, Stefano, Mateos-Nozal, Jesús, Ortega, Omar, Smithard, David G., Speyer, Renée, and Walshe, Margaret (2016) European Society for Swallowing Disorders: European Union Geriatric Medicine Society white paper: oropharyngeal dysphagia as a geriatric syndrome. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 11. pp. 1403-1428.

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Abstract

This position document has been developed by the Dysphagia Working Group, a committee of members from the European Society for Swallowing Disorders and the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society, and invited experts. It consists of 12 sections that cover all aspects of clinical management of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) related to geriatric medicine and discusses prevalence, quality of life, and legal and ethical issues, as well as health economics and social burden. OD constitutes impaired or uncomfortable transit of food or liquids from the oral cavity to the esophagus, and it is included in the World Health Organization’s classification of diseases. It can cause severe complications such as malnutrition, dehydration, respiratory infections, aspiration pneumonia, and increased readmissions, institutionalization, and morbimortality. OD is a prevalent and serious problem among all phenotypes of older patients as oropharyngeal swallow response is impaired in older people and can cause aspiration. Despite its prevalence and severity, OD is still underdiagnosed and untreated in many medical centers. There are several validated clinical and instrumental methods (videofluoroscopy and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing) to diagnose OD, and treatment is mainly based on compensatory measures, although new treatments to stimulate the oropharyngeal swallow response are under research. OD matches the definition of a geriatric syndrome as it is highly prevalent among older people, is caused by multiple factors, is associated with several comorbidities and poor prognosis, and needs a multidimensional approach to be treated. OD should be given more importance and attention and thus be included in all standard screening protocols, treated, and regularly monitored to prevent its main complications. More research is needed to develop and standardize new treatments and management protocols for older patients with OD, which is a challenging mission for our societies.

Item ID: 49436
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1178-1998
Keywords: aged, frail elderly, healthy aging, malnutrition, quality of life, sarcopenia, swallowing disorders
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© 2016 Baijens et al. This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/)

Date Deposited: 21 Jun 2017 03:20
FoR Codes: 32 BIOMEDICAL AND CLINICAL SCIENCES > 3202 Clinical sciences > 320217 Otorhinolaryngology @ 50%
42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4203 Health services and systems > 420301 Aged health care @ 50%
SEO Codes: 92 HEALTH > 9205 Specific Population Health (excl. Indigenous Health) > 920502 Health Related to Ageing @ 100%
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