J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  2006 Feb;30(1):7-12.

Usefulness of Scintigraphic Swallowing Study in Brain Injury Patients with Laryngeal Aspiration

• Lee JK
• Lim OK
• Yim YM
• Chung SR
• Bae KH
• Kim SH
• Lee KL
• Choe WS

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
We investigated the usefulness of the scintigraphic swallowing study in selecting the patients with low risk of aspiration pneumonia among those who showed small amount of laryngeal aspiration in videofluoroscopy. METHOD: Scintigraphic swallowing study was performed in 22 patients with brain injury who showed small amount of laryngeal aspiration in videofluoroscopy. Oral feeding was tried in the patients who showed airway clearing function or no aspiration in scintigraphic swallowing study, and they were followed up for possible aspiration pneumonia.
RESULTS
Total of sixteen patients showed no aspiration in scintigraphic swallowing study. Five patients showed laryngeal aspiration, but preserved airway clearing function. One patient showed impairment of airway clearing function. Oral feeding was tried in 21 patients. Oral feeding was successful in 18 of 21 patients but not in 3 patients because of dysphagia or cough. Only 1 patient developed pneumonia after 246 days of follow up.
CONCLUSION
Scintigraphic swallowing study is useful to select the patients with low risk of aspiration pneumonia among the patients who showed small amount of laryngeal aspiration in videofluoroscopy.

Keyword

Scintigraphy; Videofluoroscopy; Laryngeal aspiration; Pneumonia

MeSH Terms

Brain Injuries*
Brain*
Cough
Deglutition Disorders
Deglutition*
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Pneumonia
Pneumonia, Aspiration
Radionuclide Imaging