Frequency, associated factors, and associated outcomes of dysphagia following sepsis

Background: Identifying dysphagia as a potential complication of sepsis may improve swallowing function and survival while decreasing hospital length of stay.
Objectives: Our goal was to determine the frequency of dysphagia in sepsis survivors on the 7th day after admission, as well as their associated factors and outcomes.
Methods: This single-centre, retrospective, observational study analysed data from sepsis survivors admitted to Okayama Saiseikai General Hospital from 2018 to 2019. Participants with sepsis were assigned to one of two study groups based on the presence or absence of dysphagia using the criterion of Functional Oral Intake Scale score <5 on the 7th day after admission. We used multivariate logistic regression to determine factors independently associated with dysphagia on the 7th day after admission. Multivariate logistic regression was also used to determine associations between groups and outcomes, including dysphagia on hospital discharge, direct discharge home (discharge of patients directly to their home), and total dependency (Barthel Index score ≤20) on hospital discharge.
Results: One hundred one patients met the study inclusion criteria, 55 with dysphagia and 46 without dysphagia. Fasting period (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07–1.59) and enteral tube feeding (AOR: 8.56, 95% CI: 1.95–37.5) were independently associated with the presence of dysphagia on the 7th day after admission. Dysphagia on the 7th day after admission was associated with dysphagia on hospital discharge (AOR: 46.0, 95%, CI: 7.90–268.3), a lower chance of direct discharge home (AOR: 0.03, 95% CI: 0.01–0.15), and a higher incidence of total dependency (AOR: 9.30, 95% CI: 2.68–32.2).
Conclusions: We found that dysphagia was commonly encountered post sepsis. Fasting period and enteral tube feeding were independently associated with dysphagia on the 7th day after admission. Dysphagia on the 7th day after admission was also associated with dysphagia on hospital discharge, nondirect discharge home, and dependency in activities of daily living at the time of hospital discharge.