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Swallowing and Respiratory Distress in Hospitalized Patients with Bronchiolitis

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of airway and/or pulmonary food or saliva aspiration in infants with moderate respiratory distress who are hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis. This prospective, descriptive study was conducted during two epidemic RSV seasons at the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Included were otherwise healthy infants in their first wheezing episode with a modified Tal clinical score between 5 and 9. Swallowing was evaluated using a dynamic technetium-99 m colloid radionuclide salivagram using a gamma camera, followed by video fluoroscopy using nonionic and ionic contrast material. Fifteen patients (7 boys) were included. Age at evaluation (mean ± SD) was 4.3 ± 1.5 months; clinical score was 7.5 ± 1.4. Patients required (mean ± SD) supplemental oxygen and hospitalization 7.5 ± 3.7 and 8.8 ± 4.3 days, respectively. All technetium-99 m salivagram (10/10, as the gamma camera equipment was out of service during part of the study) and video fluoroscopy (15/15) studies were normal. No episodes of aspiration or laryngeal penetration were detected in any patient. Our study found that infants hospitalized with moderate respiratory distress due to RSV bronchiolitis did not show aspiration.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank A. Sonia Buist, MD, and the staff of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Methods in Epidemiologic, Clinical and Operations Research (MECOR) Program for encouraging our research, and Martha Swain for her assistance with editing the manuscript. We also thank Alejandro Colom, MD, and Ariel Berlinski, MD, for revising the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Respiratory Center, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital, Gallo 1330 (1425), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Alberto Maffey, Teresita Moviglia & Alejandro Teper

  2. Department of Neurology, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Catalina Mirabello

  3. Department of Radiology, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Lidia Blumenthal & Luis Gentile

  4. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Mabel Niremberg & Guillermo Gilligan

Authors
  1. Alberto Maffey
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  2. Teresita Moviglia
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  3. Catalina Mirabello
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  4. Lidia Blumenthal
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  5. Luis Gentile
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  6. Mabel Niremberg
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  7. Guillermo Gilligan
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  8. Alejandro Teper
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Correspondence to Alberto Maffey.

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Maffey, A., Moviglia, T., Mirabello, C. et al. Swallowing and Respiratory Distress in Hospitalized Patients with Bronchiolitis. Dysphagia 28, 582–587 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-013-9470-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-013-9470-0

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