ABSTRACT
Purpose:
to identify the criteria used to indicate an alternative feeding route to admitted patients at an intensive care unit in a university hospital.
Methods:
a cross-sectional, retrospective, quantitative and descriptive study. The protocols of the patients who had an alternative feeding route indicated by a speech therapist in the period between January and December 2014 were analyzed. The data were tabulated using the Microsoft Excel program. As for the statistical analysis, the STATA 12.0 program was used to estimate averages and standard deviations or medians, respectively.
Results:
out of the 25 participants, 76% had their level of conscience altered. However, 52% had their diet prescribed by a doctor, 24% presented language disorder, 52% speech articulation disorder, and 44% voice disorder. Only eight patients could be evaluated with oral diet. The criterion used with a major frequency for the indication of an alternative feeding route was the alteration of the level of conscience.
Conclusion:
this paper corroborates other researches pointing out alteration of the level of conscience as a risk factor concerning dysphagia. The importance of the speech-language therapist in hospital environments, for an early detection of patients who need intervention, is emphasized.
Keywords:
Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences; Intensive Care Units; Feeding Methods