The factibility of the protocol of dysphagia in palliative care (PADICUP) / A factibilidade do protocolo de disfagia nos cuidados paliativos (PADICUP)

Abstract

Patients in Palliative Care (PC) represent a public whose demand is great for speech therapy, and because there is no standardized instrument for assessing the swallowing of people in COP, the Protocol for Evaluation of Dysphagia in Palliative Care (PADICUP) was elaborated. However, it had not been applied in patients. This study aimed to analyze the feasibility of PADICUP in patients of a palliative care clinic in the city of Belém, PA. A quantitative cross-sectional approach was carried out with 30 participants from April to October 2019. The data obtained in the evaluations through the protocol were organized in spreadsheets and submitted to the percentage and statistical analysis using the correlation of Pearson. Among the studied public, as the main complaints observed during screening were weight loss (97%), xerostomy (77%) and clearing during feeding (68%). Regarding the evaluation with PADICUP, only 77% of the patients were able to be evaluated with oral diet in some consistency, being oral transit time decreased, vocal quality altered, reduced laryngeal elevation, multiple swallowing and oral cavity residue, the most altered manifestations. Patients with PC present significant changes in swallowing and need a qualified and assertive speech therapy support, and PADICUP is a feasible instrument to be used for this purpose, since it covers the demands and needs of patients receiving this care.