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Review
. 2022 Jan 13;11(2):370.
doi: 10.3390/jcm11020370.

Are Oropharyngeal Dysphagia Screening Tests Effective in Preventing Pneumonia?

Ikuko Okuni  1 , Satoru Ebihara  1
Affiliations
Review

Are Oropharyngeal Dysphagia Screening Tests Effective in Preventing Pneumonia?

Ikuko Okuni et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Oropharyngeal dysphagia, a clinical condition that indicates difficulty in moving food and liquid from the oral cavity to the esophagus, has a markedly high prevalence in the elderly. The number of elderly people with oropharyngeal dysphagia is expected to increase due to the aging of the world's population. Understanding the current situation of dysphagia screening is crucial when considering future countermeasures. We report findings from a literature review including citations on current objective dysphagia screening tests: the Water Swallowing Test, Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability, and the Gugging Swallowing Screen. Pneumonia can be predicted using the results of the screening tests discussed in this review, and the response after the screening tests is important for prevention. In addition, although interdisciplinary team approaches prevent and reduce aspiration, optimal treatment is a challenging. Intervention studies with multiple factors focusing on the elderly are needed.

Keywords: Gugging Swallowing Screen; Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability; aspiration; dysphagia; screening; water swallowing test.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study selection flowchart.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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