Browsing by Author "Dharmarathne, N.I."

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Determining the proportion of dysphagia in post-stroke patients admitted to a teaching hospital in Sri Lanka.
(University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2023) Fonseka, O.D.S.; Dharmarathne, N.I.
BACKGROUND: Post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) is one of leading cause to increase the number of deaths in stroke patients in worldwide. By today, early identification and detection of post-stroke dysphagia is increased due to its severity. Sri Lanka is low-middle income country (LMIC) and currently there is no study about proportion of post-stroke dysphagia in Sri Lanka. Dysphagia is one of severe complications following stroke. And also, PSD can lead to even death. OBJECTIVE/S: The purposes of the study are to evaluate the proportion of patients with PSD admitted to North Colombo Teaching Hospital, Sri Lanka and to determine the association between communication impairments and post-stroke dysphagia. This is novice research question to Sri Lankan context. METHODS: This analytical cross-sectional study recruited seventeen (n=17) adults age ranging from 18 and above male and female who were consecutively admitted to stroke unit with the diagnosis if ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke during acute period of stroke. Stroke was confirmed by either CT or MRI. Patients who were admitted between 29th of November to 23rd of December 2022 were recruited. GUSS, EAT- 10 were administered to evaluate swallowing. Communication was evaluated when SLT record were not available. Period prevalence was measured to evaluate proportion of post-stroke dysphagia. Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis one way ANOVA were used to discover the association between dysphagia and communication impairment and other relevant variables. RESULTS: The proportion of dysphagia following stroke in a teaching hospital in Sri Lanka is 70.58%. Twelve (n=12) were presented with PSD. Mean age was 62.06 (SD=8.86) years. Majority of the sample was male (76.5%). The proportion of dysphagia in ischemic stroke is 52.94%. Association between PSD and communication impairment portrayed statistically significant association (x2 (1) = 5.4 , p=.020). Dysarthria is more prominent communication impairment of the sample (n=14). Overall, 88% of patients having communication impairment. Association between dysarthria and dysphagia (p=.707). CONCLUSION/S: Proportion of post-stroke dysphagia is in critical level and it significantly associates with communication impairments. In order to improve outcomes and minimize post-stroke period complications, immediate evaluation or detection of dysphagia is significant.
Health-related quality of life of parents of children with feeding disorders in a tertiary care clinical setting in Western province, Sri Lanka.
(University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2023) Nirmani, N.; Dharmarathne, N.I.;
BACKGROUND: Parents of children with Feeding Disorders (CFD) have to be much stronger in their lives by keeping good Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), as they are primary caregivers of children. It is extremely beneficial for clinicians and researchers to explore the HRQoL of parents of CFD to continue optimal care for children in Sri Lanka. OBJECTIVE/S: The aim of the study was to examine the impact of children’s Feeding Disorders (FD) on their parents’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Sri Lanka. METHODS: Demographic, economic, and feeding history were obtained from 246 parents of CFD, aged between 6 months and 7 years, who receive feeding therapy at a community multidisciplinary care center. Participants completed standard adapted assessments on identifying the severity of feeding disorders (Pedi-EAT) and its impact on their HRQoL (FS-IS). Statistical analysis was performed on data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. RESULTS: The results indicated that caring for CFD issues negatively affected the caregivers’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Independent sample t-test revealed that mothers of CFD have significantly lower HRQoL compared to fathers (t (245) = .947, p=.001). HRQoL of parents has not significant different when the severity of feeding disorders of their children was higher. But socio-demographic factors directly affect HRQoL. Similarly, long-term FD in children showed significantly higher worry among parents and restrictions to their daily activities, reducing their HRQoL. CONCLUSION/S: In conclusion, this is the first study of this nature conducted in Sri Lanka to investigate parents’ HRQoL of CFD. The findings of the study expand our understanding of the impact of pediatric feeding disorders on the parents and families, which is a critical element in determining the effectiveness of healthcare intervention for CFD and their prognosis. Clinicians need to pay attention to factors that could improve the HRQoL of parents of CFD, in order to offer more effective care.