Evaluation, treatment, and follow-up results of post polio patients with dysphagia

Twenty consecutive patients were evaluated for reports of dysphagia from post-polio clinics. Only half the patients reported a history of swallowing problems at the time of their acute poliomyelitis. Each patient received a videofluorographic evaluation of the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing, and then was provided with recommendations to improve swallowing skills. A follow-up questionnaire was sent to all patients. The respondents had an average interval of 12 months since the initial evaluation. Of the 18 patients responding to the questionnaire, 14 (77%) reported regular use of the swallowing suggestions. Comparison of pre-evaluation results to followup of the 18 respondents yielded a statistically significant decline in the frequency of choking (p = 0.0156) and food sticking in the throat (p = 0.0195). We conclude that a dysphagia program can result in significant improvement of the swallowing symptoms reported with the post-polio population.