Objective: To determine whether dysphagic stroke patients receiving oral (thickened-fluid dysphagia) diets or nonoral (enteral feedings supplemented with intravenous fluids) diets met their estimated fluid requirements.
Design: Cohort study.
Setting: University-affiliated hospital.
Participants: Thirteen dysphagic patients with new strokes were studied for 21 days postadmission to hospital.
Interventions: Seven patients (group 1) were started on nonoral feeding and later progressed to oral diets and 6 patients (group 2) received oral dysphagia diets only.
Main outcome measure: Fluid intake.
Results: Fluid intake of patients in group 1 significantly declined over the 21 days (mean +/- standard deviation, 3158 +/- 523mL/d vs 984 +/- 486mL/d; p < .0001), representing 134% +/- 26% and 43% +/- 20% of their fluid requirements, respectively. Mean fluid intake of patients in group 2 was 755 +/- 162mL/d, representing 33% +/- 5% of requirements. This volume was significantly lower than the fluid intake of patients who received nonoral feeding (p < .0001).
Conclusions: Dysphagic stroke patients who received thickened-fluid dysphagia diets failed to meet their fluid requirements whereas patients on enteral feeding and intravenous fluid regimens received ample fluid.
Copyright 2001 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation