Recovery Trajectories and Predictors of Post-Extubation Dysphagia in Intensive Care Unit Patients Following...

Post-extubation dysphagia (PED) is a prevalent and debilitating complication in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, yet the longitudinal heterogeneity of swallowing recovery remains poorly understood. This study was aimed to characterize distinct recovery trajectories of swallowing function in ICU patients with PED and to identify the clinical predictors associated with each pattern. This longitudinal observational study utilized convenience sampling to enroll ICU patients from a tertiary hospital. Swallowing function was evaluated using the Standard Swallowing Assessment (SSA) at seven time points post-extubation, at 4-6, 24, 48, and 72 h and 7, 14, and 28 days. Latent recovery trajectories were identified using growth mixture modeling (GMM), and independent predictors of group membership were determined by multivariate logistic regression. Of 495 intubated patients, 248 (54.98%) developed PED and were included; 209 completed all follow-up assessments. Three distinct trajectories emerged: Group HS (high level, slow improvement; 10.0%), Group HR (high level, rapid improvement; 22.5%), and Group LE (low level, early recovery; 67.5%). For both Group HR and Group HS, membership was predicted by older age, neurological diagnosis, higher peak inspiratory pressure, longer intubation duration, and early pharyngeal pain. In addition, membership in Group HR was uniquely associated with an APACHE II score of 10-14 and exposure to fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Post-extubation swallowing recovery follows distinct trajectories shaped by physiological, procedural, and disease-related factors. Early trajectory identification allows for personalized, stage-specific interventions to optimize functional outcomes and mitigate long-term morbidity.