Using oral health assessment to predict aspiration pneumonia in older adults.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the significance of comprehensive assessment of oral health using the revised oral assessment guide (ROAG) in older adults with pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Oral health plays a major role in the eating-swallowing process. The role of comprehensive assessment of oral health in older adults with aspiration pneumonia has not been evaluated in detail. The ROAG is a screening tool for comprehensive assessment and has been shown to have a high sensitivity and specificity for the assessment of oral health.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 238 adults with pneumonia, aged 65 years and above, in whom the ROAG score had been assessed between December 2014 and June 2016. Participants were divided into two groups based on aspiration risk, as defined by Marik et al; correlation between the ROAG score and the risk of aspiration was evaluated.

RESULTS: Two hundred and fifteen adults (90.3%) were found to be at aspiration risk. According to the ROAG score, mild-to-moderate and severe oral problems were noted in 38 (16.0%) and 200 (84.0%) adults, respectively. Aspiration risk was noted in 68.4% and 94.5% of adults with mild-to-moderate and severe oral problems, respectively (P < .0001). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for ROAG to predict aspiration risk was 0.72 (95% confidence interval: 0.60-0.84). Furthermore, a high ROAG score was an independent predictor of aspiration risk in our study population.

CONCLUSION: In clinical practice, oral health assessment using ROAG can help predict aspiration risk in older adults with pneumonia.