Clinical Profile of Patients Presenting with Dysphagia in the Emergency Department

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Published: 2026-05-07
DOI: https://doi.org/10.61919/rbqsr558
Keywords:
Dysphagia; Emergency Department; Deglutition Disorders; Stroke; Aspiration Pneumonia; Clinical Profile

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Ishtiaq Ahmad
Postgraduate Resident Emergency Medicine, Lady Reading Hospital, Medical Teaching Institution, Peshawar, Pakistan
Dr. Muhammad Abas Khan
Assistant Professor Emergency Department, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan
Duaa Baloch
Medical Officer, Bolan Medical Complex, Quetta Balochistan, Pakistan
Dr. Sobia Farid
Post Graduate Resident, Neurology Department, Allied Hospital Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Dr. Farman Ullah
General Practitioner Observership, Arbour Family Medicine Clinic, Ontario, Canada
Asfandyar Kashif
Medical Officer ICU, Lady Reading Hospital, MTI, Peshawar, Pakistan
Dr. Leena Siddiqui
Consultant Medicine, Elaaj Medical Center

Abstract

Background: Dysphagia is an important emergency department presentation associated with aspiration, pneumonia, malnutrition, prolonged hospitalization, and increased morbidity, particularly among older adults and patients with neurological disease. Objective: To determine the clinical profile, etiological distribution, associated comorbidities, and aspiration-related complications among adult patients presenting with dysphagia in the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted in the emergency department of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, from 1 November 2025 to 30 January 2026. A total of 120 patients aged 18 years and above with documented swallowing difficulty were included. Demographic characteristics, symptom pattern, duration of dysphagia, etiology, comorbidities, and aspiration-related complications were extracted from medical records. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Categorical variables were compared using chi-square test, and mean age between groups was compared using independent sample t-test, with p≤0.05 considered significant. Results: The mean age was 56.8±17.2 years, and 72 patients (60.0%) were male. Neurological causes were most frequent, affecting 58 patients (48.3%), with stroke accounting for 44 cases (36.7%). Structural causes were identified in 34 patients (28.3%). Neurological dysphagia was significantly associated with age above 50 years (p=0.01), and patients with neurological dysphagia had a higher mean age than those with non-neurological causes (61.2±14.5 vs 52.3±18.6 years; p=0.02). Aspiration-related complications occurred in 26 patients (21.7%), including aspiration pneumonia in 18 patients (15.0%), and were significantly more frequent in neurological dysphagia (p=0.03). Conclusion: Dysphagia in the emergency department predominantly affected older adults and was most commonly neurological in origin, with stroke as the leading specific cause. Early dysphagia screening and aspiration-risk assessment are essential in emergency neurological presentations.

Article Details

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Vol. 4 No. 9 (2026): Volume 4, Issue 9 (May 2026)

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Articles
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

1.
Ishtiaq Ahmad, Dr. Muhammad Abas Khan, Duaa Baloch, Dr. Sobia Farid, Dr. Farman Ullah, Asfandyar Kashif, et al. Clinical Profile of Patients Presenting with Dysphagia in the Emergency Department. JHWCR [Internet]. 2026 May 7 [cited 2026 May 8];4(9):1-7. Available from: https://jhwcr.com/index.php/jhwcr/article/view/1577

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