Objective
To investigate whether intermittent oro-esophageal (OE) tube feeding could improve swallowing function in brainstem stroke patients. Method 23 patients suffering from dysphagia after acute brainstem stroke were enrolled in this study. All patients used nasogastric tubes for feeding. In a prospective, single blinded, randomized case control study conducted between January 2007 and April 2009, 11 patients were randomized to the study group who were fed with OE tube and received traditional swallowing treatment, and 12 patients were randomized to the control group who were fed with nasogastric tube and received traditional swallowing treatment. The effects of each treatment were assessed using functional dysphagia scale (FDS), penetration-aspiration scale (PAS), and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Outcome Measurement System (ASHA NOMS). Results The pretreatment evaluation showed no significant difference between the two groups for all parameters. After treatment, FDS, ASHA NOMS improved in both groups (p＜0.05). But, PAS score improved only in the study group (p＜0.05). In comparison between two groups, FDS, PAS and ASHA NOMS scores showed significant improvement in study groups (p＜0.05) than control groups. Conclusion OE tube can be a possible substitute for nasogastric tube in patients suffering from dysphagia after brainstem stroke. And it suggests that OE tube feeding may be used to facilitate recovery of swallowing function.
