Aspiration: a potential complication to vagus nerve stimulation
(1998) In Epilepsia 39(9). p.998-1000- Abstract
- PURPOSE: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is reported to reduce the frequency of seizures in children and adults without causing serious side effects. However, clinical observation of swallowing difficulties in 2 children treated with VNS made further investigation necessary. METHODS: Seven patients aged 4-18 years and treated with VNS for 6-14 months were investigated with videoradiography during barium swallow. The children performed 5-30 barium swallow investigations with the VNS device turned off, running as programmed, or set at continuous stimulations. The degree of aspiration was scored from 0 to 3. RESULTS: In 5 of 7 children, of whom reported transient swallowing difficulties, no change in the degree of aspiration was noted. The 2... (More)
- PURPOSE: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is reported to reduce the frequency of seizures in children and adults without causing serious side effects. However, clinical observation of swallowing difficulties in 2 children treated with VNS made further investigation necessary. METHODS: Seven patients aged 4-18 years and treated with VNS for 6-14 months were investigated with videoradiography during barium swallow. The children performed 5-30 barium swallow investigations with the VNS device turned off, running as programmed, or set at continuous stimulations. The degree of aspiration was scored from 0 to 3. RESULTS: In 5 of 7 children, of whom reported transient swallowing difficulties, no change in the degree of aspiration was noted. The 2 children with swallowing difficulties, however. showed increased aspiration score when the stimulator was set at continuous stimulations. In 1 the score also appeared to increase with the VNS running as programmed (p > 0.05). Both children had severe mental and motor disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Before and during VNS treatment patients should be evaluated with regard to swallowing problems. There needs to be an easy way to turn the device on and off to avoid aspirations, a hazardous and potentially life-threatening complication of VNS. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1113139
- author
- Lundgren, Johan LU ; Ekberg, Olle LU and Olsson, Rolf LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 1998
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Epilepsia
- volume
- 39
- issue
- 9
- pages
- 998 - 1000
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:9738680
- scopus:0031666150
- ISSN
- 0013-9580
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 247279ac-84ae-496c-911a-2ac729eb8966 (old id 1113139)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 12:14:18
- date last changed
- 2022-01-27 00:49:43
@article{247279ac-84ae-496c-911a-2ac729eb8966,
abstract = {{PURPOSE: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is reported to reduce the frequency of seizures in children and adults without causing serious side effects. However, clinical observation of swallowing difficulties in 2 children treated with VNS made further investigation necessary. METHODS: Seven patients aged 4-18 years and treated with VNS for 6-14 months were investigated with videoradiography during barium swallow. The children performed 5-30 barium swallow investigations with the VNS device turned off, running as programmed, or set at continuous stimulations. The degree of aspiration was scored from 0 to 3. RESULTS: In 5 of 7 children, of whom reported transient swallowing difficulties, no change in the degree of aspiration was noted. The 2 children with swallowing difficulties, however. showed increased aspiration score when the stimulator was set at continuous stimulations. In 1 the score also appeared to increase with the VNS running as programmed (p > 0.05). Both children had severe mental and motor disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Before and during VNS treatment patients should be evaluated with regard to swallowing problems. There needs to be an easy way to turn the device on and off to avoid aspirations, a hazardous and potentially life-threatening complication of VNS.}},
author = {{Lundgren, Johan and Ekberg, Olle and Olsson, Rolf}},
issn = {{0013-9580}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{9}},
pages = {{998--1000}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Epilepsia}},
title = {{Aspiration: a potential complication to vagus nerve stimulation}},
volume = {{39}},
year = {{1998}},
}