Assessment of the role and effectiveness of nurse-led multimodal guidance in the rehabilitation of dysphagia in patients with brain tumors

BACKGROUND Dysphagia is a common complication in patients with brain tumors, which has a profound adverse impact on patients' health status and quality of life. However, there is a relative lack of research on the rehabilitation of dysphagia in brain tumor patients, especially regarding the role and effectiveness of nurse-led multimodal guidances in the rehabilitation of dysphagia in brain tumor patients, which lacks systematic assessment and in-depth discussion. METHODS In this study, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was used to select 120 dysphagia patients among brain tumor patients admitted to our hospital during the period of January 2024 to May 2024 as the study subjects, and they were stratified and randomly divided into an guidance group (n = 60) and a control group (n = 60). While the control group received conventional nursing care and treatment protocols, the guidance group received a nurse-led multimodal guidance program, including personalized swallowing training, nutritional support, psychological care, and a family-participatory rehabilitation program, which was developed and dynamically adjusted by nurses, rehabilitation therapists, and dietitians. Differences in data before and after the guidance were analyzed using the paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and between-group comparisons were made using the independent samples t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS Both the guidance and control groups showed improvement in swallowing function among the patients. The Kubota drinking test score, Saito's swallowing function grading, and the quality of life scores for patients in the guidance group showed a significant enhancement compared to those in the control group (P < 0.05), indicating that the guidance was more effective than the control When compared within groups, all scores in both the guidance and control groups improved gradually with the time of guidance (P < 0.05). The improvement was significantly higher in the guidance group than in the control group. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that a nurse-led multimodal guidance is significantly effective in improving swallowing function and quality of life in patients with brain tumors. The guidance provides comprehensive rehabilitation support for patients through multidisciplinary collaboration and personalized care, and has certain clinical promotion value.