Conclusion
dysphagia, pneumonia, critically ill
DYSPHAGIA, PNEUMONIA, CRITICALLY ILL
Among critically ill patients receiving a prolonged endotracheal intubation, a daily 14.8-min, nurse-administered, postextubation SOC program significantly improved patients’ return to oral feeding and reduced their incidence of pneumonia. The key to the effectiveness of SOC program is the consistent and daily application of SOC protocols. Medical centers that want to facilitate their patients’ post-ICU recovery might consider SOC an effective starting point for dysphagia and pneumonia prevention.