One-Year Risk of Pneumonia and Mortality in Patients with Poststroke Dysphagia: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

In the early stages of stroke, the use of a nasogastric tube can reduce complications such as malnutrition, dehydration, and pneumonia. However, its long-term efficacy is controversial.

This retrospective cohort study used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to investigate associations among dysphagia, rate of readmission due to pneumonia, and mortality 1 year after stroke. Patients who had received their first stroke diagnosis and inpatient rehabilitation from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2010, were enrolled. The presence of dysphagia was determined by the number of nasogastric tubes received (≥2 was classified as dysphagia, <2 as control). Kaplan-Meier plots with log-rank tests revealed differences between the 2 groups, and a Cox regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio.

There were 5032 patients in the dysphagia group and 52,323 patients in the control group. The dysphagia group had a higher probability and incidence of pneumonia (18.78% versus 6.52%, P < .001 and adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.84-2.16) and a higher mortality rate (10.45% versus 4.77%, P < .001; AHR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.46-1.79) 1 year after stroke.

The association persisted until the 5-year poststroke time point. Our results suggest that prolonged nasogastric tube use has negative effects. Intensive evaluation of dysphagia and removal of the nasogastric tube in the early stages of stroke might reduce pneumonia incidence and mortality.