Best Practice Recommendations for Dysphagia Management in Intensive Care Unit (ICU): A Delphi Study from...

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Swallowing Disorders
• Clinical Practice Guidelines

Background:

• Oropharyngoesophageal (OPE) dysphagia lacks comprehensive, multidisciplinary guidelines.
• Existing literature does not cover the full spectrum from diagnosis to follow-up for OPE dysphagia.
• A need exists for evidence-based recommendations for managing OPE dysphagia in intensive care units (ICUs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop detailed, multidisciplinary recommendations for the clinical management of OPE dysphagia in ICU patients.
• To address the gap in current literature by covering all aspects of OPE dysphagia.
• To provide a practical guide for healthcare professionals managing patients with OPE dysphagia.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary expert team utilized a seven-step process and three modified Delphi rounds.
• Initial open-ended questions informed the development of detailed recommendations.
• Expert consensus was achieved through a voting system (strong, weak, or not recommended).

Main Results:

• The study generated 133 final recommendations after three Delphi rounds.
• Recommendations cover general principles, management, diagnosis, rehabilitation, and follow-up of OPE dysphagia.
• A high level of expert consensus was achieved for the final recommendations.

Conclusions:

• This study presents the first comprehensive, multidisciplinary recommendations for OPE dysphagia in the ICU.
• The guidelines offer a broad perspective from diagnosis through to follow-up.
• These recommendations aim to improve clinical practice and patient outcomes for OPE dysphagia.