Dysphagia Prevalence among Elderly in Some Vietnamese Hospitals

Background/objective. The Vietnamese elderly population has increased rapidly on an annual basis and dysphagia has become a common issue. However, in hospitals, dysphagia screening has not been a concern; the automatic solution for cases of choking/aspiration is still a prescription for tube feeding. In developed countries, oral intake is a priority alternative for dysphagia and has positive consequences. For suitable dysphagia dietary treatment, early, quick and effective screening for dysphagia plays an important role. Therefore, in this study, the aim was to determine the prevalence of dysphagia in the elderly in some Vietnamese hospitals. Method. The study was designed as a cross-sectional study and was conducted in three large hospitals in Vietnam. The subjects consisted of 1007 elderly inpatients aged 65 and older. They completed dysphagia screening tests that included the repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST), the water swallowing test (WST) and Eating assessment tool-10 (EAT-10) questionnaires. The investigators were dietitians who were trained to collect data. Results. The rate of dysphagia was quite high 16.5% (166) among elderly inpatients according to the RSST and WST; and 24.6% (248) according to Eat-10 questionnaires. Specifically, according to clinical test, the rate of dysphagia was found to be higher in neurologic disorder group 40% (45/113), the esophageal disorders group 51% (32/63) and the respiratory & latrogenic disorder group 29% (19/65). Almost all subjects who could not sit while they were being examined belonged to the dysphagia group. Conclusion. Through a combination of simple screening tests, this study indicated that the rate of dysphagia in elderly inpatients was quite high. Therefore, early dysphagia detection is necessary to administer priority dietary treatment by oral intake instead of tube feeding.