Thickened Fluids and Risk of Dehydration

Thickened fluids (TFs) are commonly used with the goal of reducing aspiration and/or aspiration pneumonia in people with oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) despite a lack of good evidence to support this.1,2 TFs worsen quality of life and are refused by many patients. Dehydration was significantly more common in those receiving TFs in the only relevant randomized controlled trial.3 TFs are associated with reduced fluid intake in nursing home residents, many of whom have current or impending dehydration.