Intermittent Oroesophageal Feeding Modulates Post-Hemorrhagic Pharyngeal Inflammation in Dysphagia

Dysphagia may be caused by stroke, cranial trauma, head and neck tumor surgery, and neurodegeneration. The overall prevalence of dysphagia in China is 38.7%, which can lead to aspiration pneumonia and malnutrition, increasing mortality rates and prolonging hospitalization. As an independent predictor of death, post-stroke dysphagia mortality ranges from 29% to 37%. Indwelling nasogastric tube feeding is widely used for dysphagic patients, but complications include mucosal bleeding, tumefaction, pneumonia, and acid regurgitation. Intermittent nasogastric tubes are an alternative option, though rarely reported. This paper describes a stroke patient with dysphagia and tracheotomy who received intermittent oroesophageal tube feeding. Notably, epiglottis tumefaction caused by the indwelling nasogastric tube disappeared after switching to intermittent oroesophageal tube feeding, with concurrent improvements in nutritional indicators, gastrointestinal tolerance, and swallowing function. To avoid side effects of indwelling nasogastric tubes in dysphagic patients, intermittent oroesophageal tube feeding deserves clinical consideration.