Pneumonia, Mortality, and Other Outcomes Associated with Unsafe Swallowing Detected via Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) in Patients with Functional Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

The association between impairments in swallowing safety detected via fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) and dysphagia complications has been evaluated in small studies that have not allowed obtaining precise estimates of the presence of such an association. The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of dysphagia complications associated with the detection of premature spillage, residue, penetration, and aspiration via FEES. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature were carried out. A search strategy was established using terms of controlled and free vocabulary (free text) in the PubMed, Lilacs, Embase, Medline, and Cochrane databases. The initial search in the databases identified 3545 articles, of which 321 were excluded due to duplication, 3224 were selected for review of titles and abstracts, 45 were selected for full-text review, 37 were excluded for not meeting the selection criteria, and 8 were included for the final analysis, with a total population of 1168 patients. Aspiration increased the risk of pneumonia (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.52–5.80, P = 0.001). The number of studies that have evaluated the relationship of other FEES findings with dysphagia complications was limited (≤ 3). One study found a higher risk of mortality in patients with aspiration (OR 4.08, 95% CI 1.60–10.27, P = 0.003). Another study that evaluated the risk of mortality in a combined group of penetration and aspiration found no higher risk of mortality. Penetration, residue, and premature spillage were not found to be associated with an increased risk of pneumonia, mortality, or other outcomes. Aspiration demonstrated via FEES was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia and mortality. There is insufficient evidence for the capacity of premature spillage, penetration, and residue to predict dysphagia complications.