Pharyngeal electrical stimulation helps critically ill COVID-19 patients with dysphagia recover safely: a case report using the Phagenyx® PES System

MANCHESTER, England, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Phagenesis Ltd, a private healthcare company offering an innovative treatment for dysphagia, announces successful treatment of intubation–induced severe neurogenic post–extubation dysphagia using pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES) in a COVID–19 patient. PES treatment with the Phagenyx^® System helped restore a safe airway in a critically ill patient with ICU-acquired swallowing dysfunction. This case was published in Journal of Medical Case Reports.

Critically ill mechanically ventilated patients are at high risk of developing swallowing problems,¹ in part due to the presence of the breathing tube, which reduces afferent sensitivity within the pharynx and disrupts neurological swallowing control (neurogenic dysphagia). Additional neurological deficits caused by COVID-19^2,3 may also contribute to the development of neurogenic dysphagia.

"A significant number of COVID-19 patients are at high risk of neurogenic dysphagia due to prolonged mechanical ventilation and the rates are staggering in the midst of this global pandemic," commented Marianna Traugott, M.D., 4^th Medical Department, Kaiser Franz Josef Hospital–Clinic Favoriten, Vienna, Austria. "My team and I are pleased by the ease of use and clinical performance of the Phagenyx^® PES treatment and its contribution to restoring safe swallowing function for this critically ill patient."

In this case report, a 71-year-old female patient with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe neurogenic dysphagia following prolonged intubation in the ICU was treated with PES using the Phagenyx^® System and demonstrated rapid improvement in saliva management with increased spontaneous swallowing and post-treatment diet advancement. The patient was discharged from the ICU to a non-intensive medical department five days after final PES treatment session.⁴ 

Reinhard Krickl, Chief Executive Officer of Phagenesis, commented "This case report of a COVID-19 patient confirms that Phagenyx^® PES therapy offers an acute treatment option to ensure a safe airway in patients with post-extubation dysphagia." he continues, "In times of health emergency such as the ongoing pandemic, reduced reintubation rates and faster ICU discharge significantly alleviate the pressure on ICU bed capacity and free up critical resources. We are pleased with the result for this patient and look forward to many more case reviews with equally positive outcomes."

The Phagenyx^® System is clinically proven to successfully treat neurogenic dysphagia and has been studied in numerous randomised controlled trials and larger-scale real world registries.^5,6,7,8

About Dysphagia

Dysphagia is defined broadly as swallowing difficulty, ranging from mild difficulty to an inability to swallow. Dysphagia may result from numerous etiologies including damage to the central nervous system and/or cranial nerves (stroke, TBI) and may also occur following critical care interventions (intubation, tracheostomy). Dysphagia arising from the disruption of neurological systems or processes involved in executing a coordinated safe swallow, is called neurogenic dysphagia. The most common cause of neurogenic dysphagia is stroke.

Dysphagia in the acute stage prevents patients from regaining a safe airway as they are unable to manage their own oropharyngeal secretions. This increases the risk of complications after extubation such as aspiration pneumonia, reintubation, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) readmission^9,10 and may increase morbidity and mortality^11,12,13 in severe cases. Patients with reduced lung function due to SARS-CoV-2 infection are at particular risk.^3,13 

About the Phagenyx^® System

Phagenyx^® uses pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES) to deliver a patient optimised train of electrical stimuli to the throat (oropharynx). A result of more than 20 years of research, PES treatment can restore safe swallowing by inducing and accelerating the re-organisation of brain areas responsible for swallow coordination and control and by driving local changes in the peripheral sensory architecture. The Phagenyx^® System is an investigational device and is not available for commercial distribution in the United States. The device is CE marked and available for sale in Europe.

About Phagenesis^®

Phagenesis^® Ltd, is a private healthcare company offering an innovative treatment for dysphagia using pharyngeal electrical stimulation, PES. The Phagenyx^® PES System is the result of years of rigorous scientific research, initiated by Professor Shaheen Hamdy from the University of Manchester, and has been featured in numerous clinical publications. For additional information, visit our website at http://www.phagenesis.com.

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