A difficult bite: An overview of dysphagia

Elsa Veronica Mignini; Milena Catani; Marco Ferrara; Marina Taus

doi:10.23751/pn.v26i3-4.15871

A difficult bite: An overview of dysphagia

Authors

Elsa Veronica Mignini Dietology and Clinical Nutrition Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria delle Marche, Ancona, Italy}
Milena Catani Dietology and Clinical Nutrition Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
Marco Ferrara Dietology and Clinical Nutrition Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
Marina Taus Dietology and Clinical Nutrition Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria delle Marche, Ancona, Italy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23751/pn.v26i3-4.15871

Keywords:

dysphagia, malnutrition, texture-modified diets

Abstract

Dysphagia describes the difficulty in swallowing during the passage of a bolus from the mouth to the stomach or the perception of obstruction during swallowing. It is a symptom of several oncological, neurological or neuromuscular pathologies. Dysphagia can also be found in sarcopenic patients, as a clinical feature of loss of strength and function of swallowing muscles.

Diagnosis can be challenging due to the non-specificity of symptoms and the heterogeneity of aetiology and requires a multidimensional approach, comprising screening tools and instrumental assessment. Dysphagia is an issue of nutritional interest since predisposes to malnutrition and dehydration. Dysphagic patients, indeed, are usually not able to cover their nutritional and fluid needs both because of the change in swallowing mechanics and because the nutritional value of texture-modified diets.

A well-structured nutrition plan needs a multidimensional approach developed by a multidisciplinary tea, who firstly define the nutritional needs, work on the adequate nutritional plan, then predispose a well-organized follow-up. Food fortification, in-between-meal nutritious snacks and oral nutritional supplements, artificial nutrition, preferably enteral nutrition through nasogastric tube or gastrostomy are the essential steps of nutritional management of dysphagic patients.

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