EFFECTIVENESS OF SWALLOWING MANEUVER ON FUNCTIONAL ORAL INTAKE AND SALIVATION IN POST-EXTUBATED PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Dysphagia is frequently observed in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), but it often goes unnoticed and untreated, even though it’s linked to serious complications, extended ICU admissions, and longer hospital stays. Prolonged intubation (>48 hrs) can result in swallowing difficulties after extubation, impacting a person’s ability to eat properly and communicate. This study will determine the effect of swallowing maneuver on functional oral intake and amount of salivation in post-extubated patients in comparison to intervention and control group. Participants fulfilling the inclusion criteria in the ICUs of selected tertiary care teaching hospital will be recruited and randomised for the study. The functional oral intake will be determined by functional oral intake scale and amount of salivation will be determined by oral schirmer test(With participants sitting upright, a standardized 5mm-wide by 35 mm long Schirmer’s tear test strip will be placed at the floor of their mouth. At the end of 5min, a wetting length in millimetres will be recorded). Data analysis will be done by descriptive and inferential statistics. It will be done as per “Per-Protocol” analysis.