Introduction:

Palliative care improves the quality of life for individuals with advanced illnesses by addressing physical, psychosocial, and spiritual complications. Oropharyngeal dysphagia, with a prevalence of 28-46 % in this population, compromises nutrition and overall well-being. Its therapeutic management aims to maintain or improve the patient's quality of life.

Objective:

To describe, based on the available literature, the clinical management of oropharyngeal dysphagia in individuals receiving palliative care.

Methods:

A scoping review was conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, searching PubMed, EMBASE, UpToDate, and Google Scholar for studies published since 2014 to the first quarter of 2024 that addressed the clinical and ethical-legal aspects of dysphagia management in palliative care. Non-peer-reviewed studies and those that did not specify related clinical processes were excluded.

Results:

Twenty-five relevant documents were identified. The findings highlight the need for a multidisciplinary approach to ensure comprehensive care. Key aspects addressed include: multidisciplinary management, education, screening, evaluation, therapeutic approaches, and therapeutic resources.

Conclusion:

The management of oropharyngeal dysphagia in palliative care is complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach centered on the patient and their family. Current evidence underscores the importance of considering clinical and ethical aspects in decision-making. The development of standardized protocols and clinical practice guidelines is needed to optimize care and improve the quality of life for patients in this stage.

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