Velocity of swallowed food for dysphagic patients through the pharynx by ultrasonic method

• Published in: Nihon Shokuhin Kagaku Kōgaku kaishi Vol. 55; no. 11
• Main Authors: Hasegawa, A.(Kyoritsu Women's Univ., Tokyo (Japan)), Nakazawa, F, Kumagai, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: 01.01.2008
• Subjects: ALIMENTOS; EATING DISORDERS; FOODS; MEASUREMENT; MEDICION; MESURE; PRODUIT ALIMENTAIRE; TRASTORNOS ALIMENTICIOS; TROUBLE ALIMENTAIRE; ULTRASON; ULTRASONICS; ULTRASONIDO; VELOCIDAD; VELOCITY; VITESSE
• ISSN: 1341-027X
• DOI: 10.3136/nskkk.55.541

The velocity of swallowed food passing through the pharynx was measured by the ultrasonic pulse Doppler method. Water with thickening agents and commercial foods for dysphagic patients were compared to control foods, including water, which individuals with dysphagia easily aspirate into the trachea, and yogurt and gelatin, which can be swallowed safely. The relationship between the dynamic viscoelasticity of the food and the velocity measured by the ultrasonic method was examined. The maximum velocity of water on the average of velocity for of nine subjects was about 0.5m/s and that of yogurt was about 0.2m/s. The maximum velocity of water with thickening agents decreased with increasing agent concentration, approaching that of yogurt ; the maximum velocity of all commercial foods for dysphagic patients was similar to that of yogurt. The maximum velocity of foods for dysphagic patients with a storage modulus more than 100 Pa or with a dynamic viscosity more than 1 Pa.s was almost 0.2m/s, which was similar to that of yogurt. These results show that the risk of dysphagic patients to aspirate food into the trachea can be predicted by the magnitude of dynamic viscoelasticity of the food.