ABSTRACT:
Purpose:
to assess quality of life in patients with cerebrovascular accident and neurogenic dysphagia.
Methods:
a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study carried out by the Division of Neurology of a Teaching Hospital in Curitiba- Paraná State, Brazil. The sample consisted of 35 individuals with cerebrovascular accident and dysphagia. Data were collected through a questionnaire to assess quality of life in dysphagia.
Results:
as for the socio-demographic variables, predominantly males, elderly, white, married and incomplete primary education. The evaluation of quality of life showed that the domains that presented changes were the ones investigating how swallowing changes have affected participants' social aspect. Mann-Whitney correlation evidenced statistical significance (p <5) when related swallowing as a burden to feeding time (p 0.002), frequency of symptoms (p <0.001), mental health (p<0.001) and fatigue (p <0.001).
Conclusion:
the statistical survey confirmed the impact of neurogenic dysphagia on quality of life of patients suffering from cerebrovascular accident, represented by the changes found in the instrument used for rating the quality of life. In Mann-Whitney correlation, when performing intersections between the domains of the instrument, data showed statistical significance on feeding time, fear of eating, mental, social health and fatigue, which adversely affect the quality of life of patients with neurogenic dysphagia.
KEYWORDS:
Quality of Life; Swallowing Disorders; Cerebrovascular Accident
