Structural airway abnormalities contribute to dysphagia in children with esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula
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Read the article on jpedsurg.org ↗Article · Feb 2018 · 1 min read
In brief
In brief
Retrospective study of 145 EA/TEF patients found that 38% had structural airway abnormalities, which significantly increased dysphagia risk. Children with airway abnormalities had higher rates of aspiration and prolonged tube feeding dependency at one year compared to those without airway issues.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Background
Long-term dysphagia occurs in up to 50% of repaired esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) patients. The underlying factors are unclear and may include stricture, esophageal dysmotility, or associated anomalies. Our purpose was to determine whether structural airway abnormalities (SAA) are associated with dysphagia in EA/TEF.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective chart review of children who underwent EA/TEF repair in our hospital system from 2007 to 2016. Children with identified SAA (oropharyngeal abnormalities, laryngeal clefts, laryngomalacia, vocal cord paralysis, and tracheomalacia) were compared to those without airway abnormalities. Dysphagia outcomes were determined by the need for tube feeding and the modified pediatric Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) at 1 year.
Results
SAA was diagnosed in 55/145 (37.9%) patients with EA/TEF. Oropharyngeal aspiration was more common in children with SAA (58.3% vs. 36.4%, p=0.028). Children with SAA were more likely to require tube feeding both at discharge (79.6% vs. 48.3%, p