Dysphagia is the difficulty in swallowing because of the presence of certain diseases; it particularly compromises the oral and/or pharyngeal stages. In severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, neuromuscular complications, prolonged bed rest, and endotracheal intubation target different levels of the swallowing network. Thus, critically ill patients are prone to dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia. In this review, we first discuss the possible cause and pathophysiology underlying dysphagia associated with coronavirus disease 2019, including cerebrovascular events, such as stroke, encephalomyelitis, encephalopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and myositis, that may lead to the dysphagia reported as a complication associated with the coronavirus disease 2019. Next, we present some recommendations for dysphagia evaluation with modifications that would allow a safe and comprehensive assessment based on available evidence to date, including critical considerations of the appropriate use of personal protective equipment and optimization individual’s noninstrumental swallowing tasks evaluation, while preserving instrumental assessments for urgent cases only. Finally, we discuss a practical managing strategy for dysphagia rehabilitation to ensure safe and efficient practice in the risks of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 exposure, in which swallowing therapy using newer technology, such as telerehabilitation system or wearable device, would be considered as a useful option.

To examine the relationship between patients' transfer ability and fall risk in stroke patients during hospitalization. We retrospectively enrolled 237 stroke patients who were transferred to a convalescent rehabilitation ward from acute wards in the same hospital. Using incident reports, we investigated their fall rates and activity status at the falls according to their transfer abilities, which were assessed with Functional Independence Measure (FIM) transfer scores. The bi-weekly time trend of fall rates in all patients and in three subgroups based on FIM transfer scores of 1-3, 4-5, and 6-7, and activity status at the falls, were investigated. In addition, changes of patients' transfer ability on admission, at the first fall, and at discharge were investigated among falling patients. The fall rate was the greatest in patients with a FIM transfer score of 4 (14.3 times/1000 person-days). The majority of falls for patients with a FIM transfer score of 1 occurred at the activity status of "on the bed" and "sitting", while three quarters of patients with a FIM score of 7 had falls during "standing" and "walking". No longitudinal trend in fall rates was found overall; however, the fall rate trends differed depending on the FIM transfer score. The majority of the patients who fell required full assistance for transfers upon admission but required no assistance at discharge. Fall risk differed among patients with various transfer abilities; the greatest risk was in those who needed minimal assistance for transfers.

Nakagawa K, Matsuo K, Shibata S, Inamoto Y, Ito Y, Abe K, Ishibashi N, Fujii W, Saitoh E. Efficacy of a novel training food based on the process model of feeding for mastication and swallowing ― a preliminary study in elderly individuals living at a residential facility ―. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2014; 5: 72-78. Purpose: We examined the validity and safety of a newly developed chew-swallow managing food (CSM) as a training material for chewing and swallowing. Methods: Twenty-three elderly individuals (mean age: 82.8 ± 8.6 years) who followed a regular diet at a residential facility were enrolled in this study. The subjects ate 4 g each of CSM and puree 3 times while bolus transport and swallowing were recorded with a fiberoptic endoscope. For each trial, the number of chewing and swallowing movements was counted. We also identified the location of the leading edge of the food at swallow initiation, the amount of food residue in the oral cavity and pharynx, and the incidence of aspiration. The differences in measurements between CSM and puree trials were then compared statistically. Results: With the CSM, the number of chewing and swallowing movements was significantly higher than that with puree and the leading edge of the food was deeper in the pharynx at swallow initiation. There were no significant differences in food residue or aspiration between the 2 foods. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that CSM has an initial consistency that requires chewing but changes to a texture equivalent to puree at the time of swallowing. We are currently planning to verify the safety and efficacy of CSM in individuals with dysphagia.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effects of the tongue‐hold swallow (THS) on the pharyngeal wall by quantifying posterior pharyngeal wall (PPW) anterior bulge during the THS. In addition, the effect of tongue protrusion length on the extent of pharyngeal wall anterior bulge was analysed.Methods: Thirteen healthy subjects (6 males and 7 females, 23–43 years) underwent 320‐row area detector CT during saliva swallow (SS) and THS at two tongue protrusion lengths (THS1 protrude the tongue as much as 1/3 of premeasured maximum tongue protrusion length (MTP‐L) and THS2 protrude the tongue as much as 2/3 of MTP‐L). To acquire images of the pharynx at rest, single‐phase volume scanning was performed three times during usual breathing with no tongue protrusion (rest), protrusion of the tongue at 1/3 of MTP‐L (rTHS1) and protrusion of the tongue at 2/3 of MTP‐L (rTHS2). Length from cervical spine to PPW (PPW‐AP) and the volume of pharyngeal cavity was measured and was compared between rest, rTHS1 and rTHS2 and between SS, THS1 and THS2. Correlation between MTP‐L and PPW‐AP was calculated in three conditions, SS, THS1 and THS2.Results: PPW‐AP at rest, rTHS1 and rTHS2 was 2.9 ± 0.6 mm, 3.0 ± 0.5 mm and 3.0 ± 0.5 mm, respectively, showing no significant differences across swallows. PPW‐AP at the maximum pharyngeal constriction was 8.1 ± 2.0 mm, 9.1 ± 2.4 mm and 8.7 ± 2.0 mm in SS, THS1 and THS2, respectively. Compared to SS, PPW‐AP in THS1 was significantly larger (p = 0.04) and PPW‐AP in THS2 was not significantly different (p = 0.09). Pharyngeal volume at rest, rTHS1 and rTHS2 was 16.4 ± 5.2 mm³, 18.4 ± 4.5 mm³ and 21.3 ± 6.2 mm³, respectively. It was significantly larger during rTHS2 compared with rest or rTHS1 (rTHS2‐rest p = 0.007, rTHS2‐rTHS1 p = 0.007). Pharyngeal volume was completely obliterated (zero volume) at maximum pharyngeal contraction in all except one subject. There was no correlation between MTP‐L and PPW‐AP in any of the three conditions (SS, THS1 and THS2).Discussion: This study demonstrated that the expanded pharyngeal cavity due to the tongue protrusion was completely obliterated by the increase in anterior motion of pharyngeal wall during THS. It also became clear that the degree of tongue protrusion did not linearly correlate with the movement of PPW during THS. There was no relationship between PPW motion and the MTP‐L, suggesting that the effect of tongue protrusion is better determined in each subject by analysing the motion of PPW using imaging tools.