The double contrast pharyngogram by use of computed radiography (DCP-CR) has been found to be useful in detection of asymptomatic swallowing dysfunction. Following the DCP-CR examination, we investigated the incidence of
aspiration pneumonia in 143 patients with chronic
cerebrovascular disease (CVD) for 3 years and the effects of
ACE inhibitors on the prevention of
pneumonia.
Aspiration pneumonia occurred in 29 out of 143 patients, and more frequently in the elderly chronic CVD patients with multiple brain lesions.
Aspiration pneumonia was confirmed in 26 out of 85 patients (30.6%) with abnormal
barium adhesion to the pharyngeal wall on the double contrast pharyngogram image by DCP-CR; whereas
pneumonia occurred in 3 out of 58 patients (5.2%) with normal findings of DCP-CR pharyngogram. Among chronic CVD patients with abnormal findings of DCP-CR pharyngogram, the incidence of
aspiration pneumonia was significantly lower in the patients treated with
ACE inhibitors than in those treated with other
antihypertensive agents or without
antihypertensive agents (chi 2 value = 7.163, p < 0.05). Accordingly,
ACE inhibitors may prevent the
aspiration pneumonia and reduce the incidence of
aspiration pneumonia in the chronic CVD patients with abnormal DCP-CR pharyngogram images.