World J Pediatr. 2025 Nov 5. doi: 10.1007/s12519-025-00992-6. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Posterior drooling and saliva aspiration are hidden threats to progressive respiratory morbidity in patients with cerebral palsy (CP). This study aimed to identify and synthesize current evidence on the definitions, prevalence, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of posterior drooling and saliva aspiration in children with CP.
METHODS: This was a scoping review. The inclusion criteria were articles focused on the objectives of the study; published between January 2000 and June 2025; written in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French or Italian; and whose full texts were available. The PubMed, Virtual Health Library, Scielo, Cochrane Library, Scopus and EMBASE databases were searched.
RESULTS: A total of 1195 citations were identified by our search strategy, with 637 remaining after the removal of 558 duplicates. After screening titles and abstracts, 304 citations progressed to full-text review. A total of 86 articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. While 28 articles were excluded because they lacked access to full texts and/or were not written in the selected languages, only 114 (9.5%) studies involved posterior drooling/saliva aspiration.
CONCLUSIONS: A large discrepancy was evident, with a much larger volume of studies on anterior drooling than on posterior drooling/saliva aspiration. This article highlights the need for more research and greater emphasis on these conditions in pediatric clinical practice. Early and reliable diagnosis and proactive interventions are essential to prevent progressive lung injury, lower respiratory tract infections, hospitalizations, impaired quality of life, and premature death.
PMID:41191295 | DOI:10.1007/s12519-025-00992-6
