ABSTRACT
We report three elderly patients in the extended care unit who were successfully treated orally with Chotosan. Case 1 was an 84-year-old male who was hospitalized for lowered volition after aspiration pneumonia in 1999. He received nutrition through a stomach fistula. Administration of Choto-san increased his volition, and he resumed eating normally after practicing swallowing. Case 2 was a 99-year-old woman who was hospitalized for lower volition after a thighbone fracture in 2000. She also could not eat orally, and received nutrition via nasal-tube feeding. After the administration of Choto-san, she developed a will to eat, and she could again have meals orally. Case 3 was an 84-year-old woman who was hospitalized for lowered volition after aspiration pneumonia in 1999. She had pressure ulcers and was often feverish, so she was fed by nasal tube. She was treated with Choto-san, and was able to eat normally again after practicing swallowing. Her pressure ulcers were cured. This suggests that the administration of Choto-san may be successfully utilized as part of a strategy for overcoming swallowing trouble in the elderly.