Effect of chin-down-plus-larynx-tightening maneuver on improving choking cough and swallowing function in patients after esophageal cancer surgery

Objective To explore the effect of Chin-down-plus-larynx-tightening maneuver on improving choking cough and swallowing function in patients after esophageal cancer surgery. Methods A total of 121 patients with esophageal cancer surgery had been randomly divided into control group and observation group from November 2018 to September 2019. Starting from feeding after surgery, the head and neck were in normal habits when swallowing in the control group, and the observation group used Chin-down-plus-larynx-tightening maneuver to perform swallowing training. The feeding process of two groups was observed and recorded for one week. One week after eating, the water swallowing test and M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory for Gastrointestinal cancer (MDASI-GI) were used to evaluate the difference of swallowing function and gastrointestinal symptoms between the two groups. Results During one week period of feeding, the incidence of choking cough in observation group was 3.39%, (2/59), which was significantly lower than that in the control group (14.52%, 9/62)(χ2 value was 4.53, P=0.033). After one week of feeding, the swallowing function showed significant difference (Z value was 6.07, P=0.014), the gastrointestinal symptoms and the degree of life interference caused by gastrointestinal symptoms of observation group scored 2.57 ± 0.81, 1.76 ± 0.84, lower than those of the control group (4.25 ± 1.54, 2.18 ± 1.24), and the difference was statistically significant(t values were -7.56, -2.17, P<0.05). Conclusions The Chin-down-plus-larynx-tightening maneuver can promote recovery of postoperative swallowing function in patients with esophageal cancer, reduce the incidence of choking cough, and help reduce the symptoms of digestive tract, and then raise the level of patient′s clinical prognosis. Key words: Chin-down-plus-larynx-tightening maneuver; Esophageal cancer; Choking cough; Swallowing function