Oropharyngeal dysphagia impact of pneumonia risk in neurological patients receiving enteral tube feeding: Insights from a gastroenterologist

Abstract

BackgroundOropharyngeal dysphagia is prevalent among neurological patients, often necessitating enteral tube feeding with a nasogastric tube (NGT) or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). These patients are at significant risk of developing aspiration pneumonia. This study aimed to assess the impact of oropharyngeal dysphagia on pneumonia risk requiring hospitalization in neurological patients on long‐term enteral tube feeding.MethodsThis retrospective observational study was conducted between 2015 and 2022. It included neurological patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy combined with a Modified Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (mFEES) for suspect dysphagia, characterized by difficulty or discomfort in swallowing. Participants were either orally fed or had been on long‐term enteral tube feeding via NGT or PEG. A 2‐year follow‐up was conducted to monitor pneumonia cases requiring hospitalization. Multivariate analyses were conducted to identify risk factors for pneumonia requiring hospitalization.Key ResultsA total of 226 orally fed and 152 enteral tube‐fed patients were enrolled. Multivariate analyses showed a significantly increased risk of pneumonia in patients with a history of pneumonia and those receiving enteral tube feeding. Subgroup analysis indicated a significantly lower risk of pneumonia among enteral tube‐fed patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia who PEG‐fed patients compared to NGT‐fed patients (adjusted HR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.10–0.44, p < 0.001). The cumulative incidence of pneumonia requiring hospitalization was significantly lower in the PEG group than in the NGT group (p < 0.001).ConclusionmFEES could be a screening tool for oropharyngeal dysphagia. PEG is preferred over NGT for long‐term enteral feeding, as it significantly reduces the risk of pneumonia requiring hospitalization, especially in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia.