Impacto da disfagia no consumo alimentar e estado nutricional de pacientes atendidos no ambulatório de cabeça e pescoço em hospital universitário

Abstract

Every year, people of all ages in the world are diagnosed with eating and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia). That in general can be described as difficulty to move the food or liquid from the mouth to the stomach. The presence of this disorder may be associated with inadequate nutrient intake and malnutrition, caused by low food intake and a diet with inadequate consistency, mainly due to symptoms such as choking or coughing during or after meals. This study aims to evaluate the impact of dysphagia on food consumption and nutritional status of patients with head and neck disease. The sample consisted of 53 female adults, attended at the head and neck outpatient clinic in a university hospital in the city of João Pessoa. Anthropometric data were collected from research participants, such as weight and height, and information was also collected on the food consumption of these individuals through a 24-hour food recall and swallowing questionnaire. The results showed that more than half of the patients were overweight. As for swallowing, more than half of the subjects reported some discomfort or difficulty on swallowing some food. It was also observed that this disorder is associated with the consumption of carbohydrates in general, as well as of dietary fibers, copper and sodium. It was concluded, therefore, that dysphagia directly influences food consumption, thus impairing the intake of macro and micronutrients.