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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Pediatric Critical Care
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1507645

Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study Predicts Clinical Outcomes in Critically Ill Children with Dysphagia: A Retrospective Observational Study

Provisionally accepted
Yoonju Na Yoonju Na 1Jaeyoung Choi Jaeyoung Choi 2Jihong Choi Jihong Choi 2Su Mi Oh Su Mi Oh 2Hyuna Jang Hyuna Jang 2Suein Choi Suein Choi 3Joongbum Cho Joongbum Cho 2Jeong-Yi Kwon Jeong-Yi Kwon 2*
  • 1 Ajou University Hospital, Suwon, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea
  • 2 Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
  • 3 The Catholic university of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: This retrospective observational study aimed to investigate the features of acute dysphagia observed during videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) in critically ill children and their potential to anticipate clinical outcomes.Methods: Administrative healthcare data of children aged 1-18 were analyzed. Data were collected from the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a single tertiary medical center in South Korea between March 2019 and December 2022. We reviewed VFSS conducted on patients in the PICU who were referred by clinicians suspecting dysphagia.Results: A total of 36 children were included in the study; 52.8% exhibited aspiration on VFSS. In this investigation, participants were provided with pureed food, liquids, solids, and a combination of solids and liquids (referred to as mixed) during the examination. Any occurrence of aspiration throughout the examination was deemed as aspiration. All individuals displaying aspiration were found to have silent aspiration. Silent aspiration was associated with a longer length of stay (LOS) in the PICU. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the time from PICU admission to VFSS and intubation duration significantly influenced LOS. Abnormal findings in the VFSS, including aspiration, delayed swallowing reflex, insufficient laryngeal closure, and residue, were statistically significant variables in determining the feeding mode at discharge.This study highlights the importance of VFSS in assessing swallowing function in critically ill children. It suggests that VFSS findings, such as silent aspiration, can aid in predicting patient outcomes, including LOS and the delay in oral feeding.

    Keywords: dysphagia, critically ill children, Videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), pediatric, Intensive Care Unit

    Received: 08 Oct 2024; Accepted: 09 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Na, Choi, Choi, Oh, Jang, Choi, Cho and Kwon. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jeong-Yi Kwon, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.