Abstract

Introduction: Major burn patients are exposed to different invasive procedures for wound management or medical stabilization. Dysphagia is a frequent adverse effect of burns in the presence of invasive airway procedures and facial wounds. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of dysphagia, to determine the degree of severity, and to report clinical characteristics that could contribute to the appearance of dysphagia in patients admitted to a National Burn Reference Centre. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in a bum reference centre over a 6-month period. All patients admitted to the bum service of a National Reference Centre were included. A clinical bedside swallowing assessment was performed in patients referred to a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). The presence or absence of dysphagia was evaluated, and the degree of severity was measured according to the Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale (DOSS). Results: Fifty-four participants were recruited. The prevalence of dysphagia over a 6-month period was 27.78% (n=15) of the total burn patients admitted to the Burn Unit. The severity of dysphagia varied from mild (26.7%), mild-moderate (33.3%), moderate (20%), moderate-severe (13.3%), to severe (6.7%). All dysphagia patients had orotracheal intubation history with an average length of 18 days, as opposed to the non- dysphagia group, of which 75% of the participants had orotracheal intubation history for an average of 8.5 days. Statistically non-significant associations were found between dysphagia and demographic aspects or clinical characteristics (p >0.05). Conclusion: 27.78% of burn patients presented dysphagia, with differences in the degree of severity. Presence and duration of orotracheal intubation stands out as a condition of interest. The SLP inclusion in the burn team is presented as a valuable input in order to minimize risks associated with swallowing impairment. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.