Deglutição com e sem comando verbal: achados videofluoroscópicos / Swallowing with and without verbal commands: videofluoroscopy findings

OBJETIVO: Caracterizar a deglutição de consistências e quantidades alimentares diferentes, com e sem comando verbal, por meio da videofluoroscopia da deglutição. MÉTODOS: Estudo quantitativo, transversal e observacional em 40 indivíduos sadios e sem queixas de deglutição, realizado no período de janeiro a março de 2010. A média de idade dos indivíduos foi de 23 anos e 5 meses (DP±2,5), com idade mínima de 20 anos e máxima de 30 anos, sendo 87,5 por cento (35/40) do gênero feminino. Realizou-se avaliação videofluoroscópica da deglutição com ingestão de bário nas consistências líquida, líquido-pastosa, pastosa e sólida. Durante a administração da consistência líquida, realizaram-se duas provas de deglutição, uma com e outra sem comando verbal. Foram analisados o local do início da fase faríngea da deglutição em diferentes estruturas, a perda prematura do alimento, o aumento do tempo de trânsito oral, a presença de deglutições múltiplas, a presença de estase alimentar e a presença de penetração e/ou aspiração laríngea nas duas situações. RESULTADOS: O início da fase faríngea ocorreu na base da língua e valéculas para a maioria das consistências e quantidades, com exceção da líquida (5 ml) cuja deglutição foi ativada em valéculas. Não houve influência do comando verbal para o local do início da fase faríngea da deglutição e presença de estase alimentar, entretanto o comando foi eficaz para a diminuição dos achados orofaríngeos. CONCLUSÃO: A fase faríngea da deglutição ocorreu em base de língua e valéculas. Houve influência do comando verbal na dinâmica da deglutição.

Purpose: To characterize the swallowing process of different food consistencies and quantities, with and without verbal commands, through videofluoroscopy. METHODS: Quantitative cross-sectional, observational study held in the period between January and March 2010 with 40 healthy subjects with no apparent signs of swallowing problems. Mean age was 23 years and 5 months (SD±2.5), with a minimum age of 20 years and a maximum of 30 years, and 87.5 percent of the subjects were female (35/40). A videofluoroscopy swallowing study (VFSS) was carried out with the ingestion of barium in the liquid, thick liquid, pureed and solid consistencies. Two swallowing tests were held during the administration of the liquid consistency, with and without verbal commands. The place of beginning of the pharyngeal phase of swallowing in different structures was analyzed, as well as the presence of premature spillage of food, delayed oral transit time, multiple swallowing, stasis, and laryngeal penetration and/or aspiration in both situations. RESULTS: The beginning of the pharyngeal phase took place in the base of the tongue and in the valleculae for most consistencies and quantities, with the exception of the liquid swallowing (5 ml), which started in the valleculae. There was no influence of the verbal command both in the place where the pharyngeal phase of swallowing started, and the presence of stasis of residue. However, the command was effective in reducing oropharyngeal findings. CONCLUSION: The pharyngeal phase of swallowing occurred in the base of the tongue and valleculae. The verbal commands influenced the dynamics of swallowing.

Efficacy of Barium-Based Fecal Tagging for CT Colonography: a Comparison between the Use of High and Low Density Barium Suspensions in a Korean Population - a Preliminary Study

OBJECTIVE: This preliminarily study was designed to determine and to compare the efficacy of two commercially available barium-based fecal tagging agents for CT colonography (CTC) (high-density [40% w/v] and low-density [4.6% w/v] barium suspensions) in a population in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a population with an identified with an average-risk for colorectal cancer, 15 adults were administered three doses of 20 ml 40% w/v barium for fecal tagging (group I) and 15 adults were administered three doses of 200 ml 4.6% w/v barium (group II) for fecal tagging. Excluding five patients in group I and one patient in group II that left the study, ten patients in group I and 14 patients in group II were finally included in the analysis. Two experienced readers evaluated the CTC images in consensus regarding the degree of tagging of stool pieces 6 mm or larger. Stool pieces were confirmed with the use of standardized CTC criteria or the absence of matched lesions as seen on colonoscopy. The rates of complete fecal tagging were analyzed on a per-lesion and a per-segment basis and were compared between the patients in the two groups. RESULTS: Per-lesion rates of complete fecal tagging were 52% (22 of 42; 95% CI, 37.7-66.6%) in group I and 78% (28 of 36; 95% CI, 61.7-88.5%) in group II. The difference between the two groups did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.285). The per-segment rates of complete tagging were 33% (6 of 18; 95% CI, 16.1%-56.4%) in group I and 60% (9 of 15; 95% CI, 35.7%-80.3%) in group II; again, the difference between the two groups did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.171). CONCLUSION: Barium-based fecal tagging using both the 40% w/v and the 4.6% w/v barium suspensions showed moderate tagging efficacy. The preliminary comparison did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in the tagging efficacy between the use of the two tagging agents, despite the tendency toward better tagging with the use of the 4.6% w/v barium suspension.