Relationship between nutritional status, dysphagia, and functional eating level in adult patients with cerebral palsy in long institutional stays

Abstract

Background – Diets with modified consistencies for patients with dysphagia in long term care health institutions may be associated with malnutrition. Objective – To assess the nutritional status of adult patients with cerebral palsy and dysphagia hospitalized in a health institution for more than 10 years. Methods – This prospective investigation was performed in 56 patients with cerebral palsy (ages 25 to 71 years, mean: 44±12 years) and no other neurological diagnosis in hospital stay for more than 10 years had their nutritional status, dysphagia, and food ingestion capacity assessed in two moments with a 12-month interval in between them, respectively using the body mass index, the dysphagia risk assessment protocol (PARD), and the functional oral ingestion scale (FOIS). Results – There were no differences between December 2015 and December 2016 in the patients’ weight, nutritional status, diet con-sistency classification, PARD, and FOIS. The limits of prescribed diet con-sistency (IDDSI-FDS) and the assessments of dysphagia and functional eating level influenced the nutritional status. More intense dysphagia and greater eating restrictions were associated with a worse nutritional status. Conclusion – The nutritional status of adult patients with cerebral palsy hospitalized in a health long term institution who had modified diets according to their swallowing and mastication capacity did not worsen between assessments with a 12-month interval in between them. The severity of dysphagia and diet restrictions interfere with the patients’ nutritional status – dysphagia and more intense eating restrictions are associated with a worse nutritional status.