Is intensive and comprehensive dysphagia rehabilitation effective in preventing hospital-acquired pneumonia in a convalescent rehabilitation ward?

AIM: To evaluate the effect of intensive and comprehensive dysphagia rehabilitation on the prevention of hospital-acquired pneumonia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this non-randomized retrospective observational study, we compared two patient groups in a convalescent rehabilitation ward. One included patients after the introduction of an intensive and comprehensive rehabilitative program including various measures, such as nutritional support and respiratory physical therapy (intensive program group); the other included patients who had been admitted before the introduction of the above measures (control group). The primary endpoint was the onset of pneumonia during the hospital stay. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the adjusted odds ratio for the relationship between dysphagia rehabilitation and pneumonia onset. RESULTS: In the intensive program group, 5 of 291 patients were diagnosed with pneumonia, while in the control group, 13 of 460 were diagnosed with pneumonia. The adjusted odds ratio for intensive and comprehensive dysphagia rehabilitation with respect to hospital-acquired pneumonia was 0.326 (95% confidence interval: 0.112-0.949, p=0.040). CONCLUSION: This intensive and comprehensive dysphagia rehabilitation program was thought to be effective in preventing hospital-acquired pneumonia in a convalescent rehabilitation ward.