NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region

Tags: health, health care development

Objective(s): To determine whether there is an association between respiratory burden and aspiration (swallowing dysfunction) in Inuit and First Nation’s children, living in the Canadian North.

Project Description: The primary objective of the study is to determine whether there is an association between respiratory burden and aspiration (swallowing dysfunction) in Inuit and First Nation’s children, living in the Canadian North. Aspiration will be determined on the basis of Video Fluoroscopic Swallowing Study. The primary outcome in the study will be number of admissions for lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), and will include admissions to territorial hospitals (Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit and the Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife) and tertiary hospitals (the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa and the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton). The secondary objective is to determine a minimum prevalence of aspiration among Inuit and First Nation’s children investigated with Video Fluoroscopic Swallowing Studies. The tertiary objective of this study is to identify host and prenatal factors associated with aspiration in Inuit and First Nation’s children. This study will consist of a chart review at four hospitals; the Stanton Territorial Hospital (Yellowknife), the Stollery Children's Hospital (Edmonton), the Qikiqtani General Hospital (Iqaluit) and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Ottawa). Children from the Northwest Territories and Nunavut who were investigated for swallowing dysfunction with a Video Fluoroscopic Swallowing Study between 2001-2015 at the Stollery Children's Hospital and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario will be included in the study. The charts of these children will be reviewed at the southern children's hospitals, as well as the territorial referring hospitals. The charts will primarily be reviewed for number of admissions to hospital for respiratory infections. The research team will look to see if there is an association between abnormal swallowing and admission to hospital for respiratory infections. The team hypothesize that children with abnormal swallowing will have a higher rate of requiring admission to hospital for lung infections. This will be a multicentre retrospective study involving chart review at four sites. There are opportunities for the health care team at each site to become involved in the study. The research team have been liaising with the Occupational Therapists in Yellowknife and Edmonton to help influence the study design. The study may facilitate and strengthen the relationship between pediatricians serving the Canadian territories. It will help to better understand the problem of swallowing dysfunction in a medically fragile population. In doing so, the research team may be better able to advocate for additional supports and therapies for children with swallowing dysfunction in remote northern communities. After the results of the study are gathered, there will likely be opportunities for local involvement in education and dissemination of results. Results will be communicated to the paediatric medical community through publication in medical journals, and a research poster presentation. Results of the study will be communicated to communities through a study summary that can be made available at the Territorial hospitals. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from September 26, 2017 to December 31, 2017.