Aspiration Screening in Motor Neuron Disease: Preliminary Results From Utilization of the Yale Swallow Protocol.

Purpose Dysphagia is a common symptom experienced by patients with motor neuron disease (MND). The Yale Swallow Protocol (YSP) is a validated screening instrument for identifying patients at risk for aspiration. The purpose of this exploratory cross-sectional, multicenter study was to investigate how the YSP results in identifying aspiration risk in patients with MND in comparison with aspiration observed during a videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS). Method Participants referred for VFSS as part of clinical management were recruited from four specialized MND clinics. All participants were administered the YSP immediately prior to the VFSS by a speech-language pathologist, with results recorded as pass or fail. Aspiration on VFSS was determined using the Penetration-Aspiration Scale (scores 6-8). A 2 × 2 contingency table was constructed to compare results of YSP with those on VFSS. Results Thirty-one patients with MND (13 males, 18 females; M age = 64 ± 12 years) referred for VFSS participated in this study. Of the 22 patients who failed the YSP, interrupted drinking was the most frequent reason (65%). Compared to the VFSS, the YSP yielded a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 33%, positive predictive value of 36%, and negative predictive value of 78%. Conclusions The YSP is a simple tool and easy to utilize and has a high sensitivity in identifying aspiration risk in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A future investigation with a larger sample size is needed to better investigate the utility of YSP as a screening tool for this population.

Moving Forward with Dysphagia Care: Implementing Strategies during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond.

Growing numbers of SARS-CoV-2 cases coupled with limited understanding of transmissibility and virulence, have challenged the current workflow and clinical care pathways for the dysphagia provider. At the same time, the need for non-COVID-19-related dysphagia care persists. Increased awareness of asymptomatic virus carriers and variable expression of the disease have also focused attention to appropriate patient care in the context of protection for the healthcare workforce. The objective of this review was to create a clinical algorithm and reference for dysphagia clinicians across clinical settings to minimize spread of COVID-19 cases while providing optimal care to patients suffering from swallowing disorders. Every practitioner and healthcare system will likely have different constraints or preferences leading to the utilization of one technique over another. Knowledge about this pandemic increases every day, but the algorithms provided here will help in considering the best options for proceeding with safe and effective dysphagia care in this new era.

Swallowing Screening: Purposefully Different From an Assessment Sensitivity and Specificity Related to Clinical Yield, Interprofessional Roles, and Patient Selection.

Purpose The purpose of this clinical focus article is to summarize the goal and process by which identification of individuals at risk for having feeding problems or dysphagia is clinically screened across the life span by speech-language pathologists (SLPs). The topic of this clinical focus article was presented at the Charleston Swallowing Conference in Chicago, Illinois, in July 2018. The contents of this clinical focus article offer an expanded summary of information discussed at this meeting with focus on critical considerations to guide clinical decisions by SLPs regarding the optimal feeding and dysphagia screening approach and process. Conclusion Screening is a critical first step in the identification of individuals at risk for feeding problems and dysphagia across the life span. Understanding the difference between screening and assessment objectives as well as having the knowledge, skills, and clinical competency to implement psychometrically sound screening approaches is a recommended clinical practice standard for SLPs working with these clinical populations. This clinical focus article summarizes critical considerations for identifying individuals at risk for feeding problems and dysphagia across the life span to guide clinicians working with dysphagia populations.

Evaluation of Swallow Function Post-Extubation: Is It Necessary to Wait 24 Hours?

BACKGROUND: Post-extubation dysphagia is associated with an increased incidence of nosocomial pneumonias, longer hospitalizations, and higher re-intubation rates. The purpose of this study was to determine if it is necessary to delay swallow evaluation for 24 hours post-extubation. METHODS: A prospective investigation of swallowing was conducted at 1, 4, and 24 hours post-extubation to determine if it is necessary to delay swallow evaluation following intubation. Participants were 202 adults from 5 different intensive care units (ICU). RESULTS: A total of 166 of 202 (82.2%) passed the Yale Swallow Protocol at 1 hour post-extubation, with an additional 11 (177/202; 87.6%) at 4 hours, and 8 more (185/202; 91.6%) at 24 hours. Only intubation duration ≥4 days was significantly associated with nonfunctional swallowing. CONCLUSIONS: We found it is not necessary to delay assessment of swallowing in individuals who are post-extubation. Specifically, the majority of patients in our study (82.2%) passed a swallow screening at 1 hour post-extubation.

An Epidemiologic Study on Ageing and Dysphagia in the Acute Care Geriatric-Hospitalized Population: A Replication and Continuation Study.

United States census data project dramatic increases in the geriatric population ageing demographics by 2060 with concomitant health-care consequences. The purpose of this replication and continuation study was to collect new 2014 demographic data relative to ageing, swallow evaluation referral rates, and oral feeding status in geriatric-hospitalized patients for comparison with published data from 2000 to 2007. This was a planned data acquisition study of consecutive hospitalized patients referred for swallow assessments. Swallow evaluation referral rates for 2014 were described according to inpatient discharges, age range 60-105 years grouped by decade, gender, admitting diagnostic category, results of swallow evaluations, and oral feeding status. Determination of aspiration risk status was made with the Yale Swallow Protocol and diagnosis of dysphagia made with fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). There were 1348 referrals and 961 patients ≥60 years of age participated. Overall swallow evaluation referral rates increased an average of 63 % between the comparison years 2007 and 2014 with consistent increases corresponding to the decades, i.e., 60-69 (46 %), 70-79 (68 %), 80-89 (53 %), and 90+ (222 %). A total of 75 % of participants resumed oral alimentation and oral medications. Swallow evaluation referral rates increased by 63 % for 60-90+ year-old acute care geriatric-hospitalized participants despite only a 23 % increase in inpatient discharges for the years 2007 versus 2014. This corroborated previously reported increases for individual years from 2000 to 2007. For timely, safe, and successful initiation of oral alimentation, it is important to perform a reliable swallow screen for aspiration risk assessment with the Yale Swallow Protocol and, if failed, instrumental testing with FEES. More dysphagia specialists are needed through 2060 and beyond due to projections of continued population ageing resulting in ever increasing referral rates for swallow assessments.

Screening Accuracy for Aspiration Using Bedside Water Swallow Tests: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalizations for aspiration pneumonia have doubled among older adults. Using a bedside water swallow test (WST) to screen for swallowing-related aspiration can be efficient and cost-effective for preventing additional comorbidities and mortality. We evaluated screening accuracy of bedside WSTs used to identify patients at risk for dysphagia-associated aspiration. METHODS: Sixteen online databases, Google Scholar, and known content experts through May 2015 were searched. Only prospective studies with patients ≥ 18 years of age given WST screenings validated against nasoendoscopy or videofluoroscopy were included. Data extraction used dual masked extraction and quality assessment following Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. RESULTS: Airway response (eg, coughing/choking) with or without voice changes (eg, wet/gurgly voice quality) was used to identify aspiration during three different bedside WSTs. Pooled estimates for single sip volumes (1-5 mL) were 71% sensitive (95% CI, 63%-78%) and 90% specific (95% CI, 86%-93%). Consecutive sips of 90 to 100 mL trials were 91% sensitive (95% CI, 89%-93%) and 53% specific (95% CI, 51%-55%). Trials of progressively increasing volumes of water were 86% sensitive (95% CI, 76%-93%) and 65% specific (95% CI, 57%-73%). Airway response with voice change improved overall accuracy in identifying aspiration. CONCLUSIONS: Currently used bedside WSTs offer sufficient, although not ideal, utility in screening for aspiration. Consecutive sips with large volumes in patients who did not present with overt airway responses or voice changes appropriately ruled out risk of aspiration. Small volumes with single sips appropriately ruled in aspiration when clinical signs were present. Combining these bedside approaches may offer improved screening accuracy, but further research is warranted.

Reliability for Identification of a Select Set of Temporal and Physiologic Features of Infant Swallows.

There is little reported evidence regarding the reliability of temporal and physiologic features of infant swallowing from videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS). The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine a reliable set of temporal and physiologic features from infant swallowing that can be measured from analysis of VFSS. Temporal and physiologic features for testing were determined from review of previously reported features of infant VFSS in the literature. Two novel analysts underwent three training sessions to learn and practice visual recognition of the proposed features. The two analysts then assessed 25 swallows from 10 total subjects' VFSS. To establish inter- and intra-rater reliability, calculation of Pearson's r was used for features that met criteria for parametric analysis and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used for the non-continuous features. Percent agreement was used to report on the reliability of the dichotomous features due to insufficient variability for Spearman's rho analyses. Fifteen of the 16 tested features were found to have acceptable inter- and intra-rater reliability measures, with each analyst achieving a correlation of 0.75 or higher. This project identifies 15 variables that can be reliably measured from infant VFSS. This information can be used to assist with determination of normal versus abnormal swallow features and in developing and testing therapeutic strategies for infants with dysphagia.

Five days of successful oral alimentation for hospitalized patients based upon passing the Yale Swallow Protocol.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the success of oral alimentation and patient retention rate 1 to 5 days after passing the Yale Swallow Protocol. METHODS: Participants were 200 consecutive acute care inpatients referred for swallow assessment. Inclusion criteria were adequate cognitive abilities to participate safely, completing an oral mechanism examination, and passing the 3-ounce water swallow challenge. Exclusion criteria were altered mental status, failing the 3-ounce challenge, preadmission dysphagia, head-of-bed restrictions < 30°, and a tracheotomy tube. Electronic medical record monitoring post-protocol passing for 1 to 5 consecutive days determined success of oral alimentation and retention rate. RESULTS: All patients who remained medically and neurologically stable drank thin liquids and ate successfully 1 to 5 days after passing the protocol. Mean (SD) volume of liquid ingested per day was 474.2 (435.5) cc. Patient retention declined steadily from day of testing (n = 200) through post-testing day 5 (n = 95). CONCLUSION: Passing the Yale Swallow Protocol allowed for initial determination of aspiration risk followed by successful oral alimentation for 1 to 5 days in medically and neurologically stable acute care hospitalized patients and without the need for instrumental dysphagia testing. The decline in patient retention was expected because of increasingly rapid transit through the acute care setting, which often renders longer follow-up problematic.

Comparing accuracy of the Yale swallow protocol when administered by registered nurses and speech-language pathologists.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: (1) To describe the results of a web-based teaching module used by registered nurses to identify patients at risk of aspiration and (2) to determine accuracy of the registered nurse-administered 3-ounce water swallow challenge protocol, that is, drinking three ounces of water, a basic cognitive screen and oral mechanism evaluation, when compared with blinded ratings from speech-language pathology. BACKGROUND: Early identification of potential swallowing problems is important prior to ingestion of food, fluid and medications. Unfortunately, current nurse-administered screens use a variety of non-evidence-based assessments. It would be beneficial to use a valid, reliable and evidence-based screen, that is, the Yale swallow protocol. DESIGN: Prospective, blinded, referral-based. METHODS: Fifty-two registered nurses and 101 inpatients participated. First, each participant was administered the 3-ounce water swallow challenge protocol by a speech-language pathologist. Second, a nurse administered the protocol to the same patient within one hour and independently recorded results and diet recommendations. The nurse was blinded to the study's purpose and results of the speech-language pathologist's initial screening. Out of view, but simultaneous with the nurse-administered protocol, a speech-language pathologist rerated the patient's challenge for comparison with initial results and determined the accuracy of the nurse-administered protocol. RESULTS: Intra- and inter-rater protocol agreements for the two speech-language pathologists were 100%. Inter-rater protocol agreement between registered nurses and speech-language pathologists was 98·01%. CONCLUSIONS: Results confirm the reliability and accuracy of a registered nurse-administered Yale swallow protocol. The consequence of 98% accuracy combined with previously reported 96·5% sensitivity, 97·9% negative predictive value and <2% false negative rate allowed for adoption of the protocol for the entire general hospital population. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Avoidance of preventable prandial pulmonary aspiration as a cause of nosocomial infection is an important goal for all acute care hospitalised patients deemed at risk of aspiration.

Validation of the Yale Swallow Protocol: a prospective double-blinded videofluoroscopic study.

The purpose of this prospective, double-blinded, multirater, systematic replication study was to investigate agreement for aspiration risk, in the same individual, between videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) and the Yale Swallow Protocol. Participants were 25 consecutive adults referred for dysphagia testing who met the inclusion criteria of completion of a brief cognitive assessment, oral mechanism examination, and no tracheotomy tube. First, all participants were administered the Yale Swallow Protocol by two experienced speech-language pathologists trained in protocol administration. Failure criteria were inability to drink the entire amount, interrupted drinking, or coughing during or immediately after drinking. Second, all participants completed a VFSS within 5-10 min of protocol administration. A speech-language pathologist, blinded to protocol results, reviewed the VFSS to determine aspiration status in a binary (yes/no) manner. Inter-rater agreement between two speech-language pathologists was 100 % for identification of aspiration risk with the Yale Swallow Protocol. Inter-rater agreement between the speech-language pathologist and the radiologist for identification of aspiration status with VFSS was 100 %. Twenty percent of VFSS recordings were viewed again 3-6 months after initial data collection, and intrarater agreement for identification of thin liquid aspiration was 100 %. Sensitivity for the Yale Swallow Protocol = 100 %, specificity = 64 %, positive predictive value = 78 %, and negative predictive value = 100 %. Importantly, all participants who passed the protocol did not aspirate during VFSS. Multiple, double-blinded raters and VFSS as the reference standard agreed with previous research with a single, nonblinded rater and FEES as the reference standard for identification of aspiration risk. The clinical usefulness and validity of the Yale Swallow Protocol for determining aspiration risk in a small sample size of male participants has been confirmed. Future research is needed with a larger and more heterogeneous population sample.

Can an oral mechanism examination contribute to the assessment of odds of aspiration?

Use of an oral mechanism examination is ubiquitous and long-standing despite a paucity of research supporting its clinical utility in dysphagia diagnostics. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether components of an oral mechanism examination, i.e., binary judgments (complete/incomplete) of labial closure, lingual range of motion, and facial symmetry, were associated with increased odds of aspiration as confirmed by subsequent instrumental testing. Study design was a single-group consecutively referred case series with a single judge. A total of 4,102 consecutive inpatients from a large, urban, tertiary-care teaching hospital were accrued, with 3,919 meeting the inclusion criterion of adequate cognitive ability to participate in an oral mechanism examination followed immediately by a fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. Stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that participants with incomplete lingual range of motion had an odds of aspiration that was 2.72 times the odds of aspiration of those with complete lingual range of motion (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.96-3.79, p < 0.0001), and incomplete lingual range of motion was an independent risk factor for aspiration regardless of labial closure and facial symmetry. Participants with incomplete facial symmetry had an odds of aspiration that was 0.76 times the odds of aspiration of those with complete facial symmetry (95% CI = 0.61-0.95, p = 0.017). Isolated incomplete labial closure did not affect the odds of aspiration (p > 0.05). New and clinically relevant information was found for lingual range of motion and facial symmetry, i.e., when incomplete, the clinician should be alerted to potential increased odds of aspiration during subsequent instrumental dysphagia testing.

Success of recommending oral diets in acute stroke patients based on passing a 90-cc water swallow challenge protocol.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the success of recommending specific oral diets following an acute stroke based on passing a 90-cc water swallow challenge protocol. METHOD: The study was a single group consecutively referred case series design. The study took place in a large, urban, tertiary care teaching hospital and involved 75 acute adult stroke inpatients in a 90-cc water swallow challenge. The volume (in cc) of liquid ingested, percent of meal eaten, and specific diet recommendations made 12 to 24 hours after passing a 90-cc water swallow challenge were accessed electronically from routine oral intake information entered by nursing staff on each participant's daily flow sheets. Nurses were blinded to the study's purpose. RESULTS: All 75 participants were drinking thin liquids and eating food successfully 12 to 24 hours after passing a 90-cc water swallow challenge. The mean volume of liquid ingested was 385.4 cc and percent of diet eaten ranged from 10% to 100%. Flow sheets indicated that specific diet recommendations were followed with 100% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Successfully recommending specific oral diets to acute stroke patients based on passing a 90-cc water swallow challenge protocol was supported. A 90-cc challenge is an easily administered, highly reliable, cost-effective, and validated clinical assessment that can be used by a variety of qualified health care professionals to identify aspiration risk. When a 90-cc challenge protocol is passed, specific diet recommendations can be made safely and confidently without the need for further objective dysphagia testing.

Sentence intelligibility before and after voice treatment in speakers with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to determine whether sentence intelligibility improves in speakers with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) as a result of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT). It was hypothesized that all the speakers would improve following treatment, in association with increased vocal loudness, which was the primary target of the treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study of eight Speakers with PD using a single-blinded, randomized pre-post treatment design, with multiple daily assessments before and after treatment was carried out. Resultant data were corrected for regression to the mean. METHODS: Randomized digital recordings of sentences produced by speakers with idiopathic PD before and after the treatment were presented to normal-hearing listeners with equalized intensity at conversational loudness in the presence of pink noise. Percentage of words understood was calculated before and after the treatment. Changes in overall vocal intensity were also analyzed. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant group effect from pre-to-post voice treatment; however, there was also significant interaction of treatment with speakers. Six of the speakers with PD improved significantly following voice treatment, one exhibited no change, and one exhibited a decline in sentence intelligibility post-treatment. CONCLUSIONS: LSVT yielded significant improvement in sentence intelligibility for most speakers in the study but was not beneficial for two of the speakers despite the fact that they increased their overall vocal loudness.

Vocal fold immobility and aspiration status: a direct replication study.

The purpose of this direct replication study was to confirm the incidence of vocal fold immobility (VFI) and its relationship to pharyngeal dysphagia and aspiration. Using a single-group consecutively referred case series, a total of 2,650 participants underwent fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing between August 2003 and December 2007. Main outcome measures included overall incidence of VFI and aspiration status, with specific emphasis on age, gender, etiology and pharyngeal phase bolus flow characteristics, and side of VFI (right, left, or bilateral). These data were compared to and then combined with the original study (n = 1,452) for a total of 4,102 participants. Results indicated that the incidence of VFI was 4.3% (112/2,650), i.e., 27% (31/112) unilateral right, 58% (65/112) unilateral left, and 14% (16/112) bilateral. Incidence of aspiration was 22% (580/2,650). Of those with VFI, 40% (45/112) aspirated, i.e., 42% (13/31) unilateral right, 37% (24/65) unilateral left, and 50% (8/16) bilateral. An individual with VFI had 2.50 times the odds of aspirating as someone without VFI (95% CI = 1.86-3.37). For liquid aspiration, the odds ratio (OR) = 2.41 (95% CI = 1.77-3.28), and for puree aspiration, OR = 2.08 (95% CI = 1.47-2.93). Left VFI occurred most frequently due to surgical trauma. Liquid was aspirated more often than a puree. Males exhibited VFI more often than females. Side of VFI and age were not factors that increased the incidence of aspiration significantly. It was confirmed that VFI is not an uncommon finding during dysphagia testing and, when present, increased the odds of aspiration compared to a population already being evaluated for dysphagia.

Effect of presence/absence of a nasogastric tube in the same person on incidence of aspiration.

OBJECTIVE: To determine what effect, if any, the presence or absence of a nasogastric (NG) tube in the same person had on the incidence of anterograde aspiration. DESIGN: Case series with planned data collection. SETTING: Large, urban, tertiary care teaching hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Referred sample of 62 consecutively enrolled adult inpatients for fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). Group 1 (n = 21) had either small-bore (n = 13) or large-bore (n = 8) NG tubes already in place and had a FEES first with the NG tube in place and a second FEES after NG tube removal. Group 2 (n = 41) did not have an NG tube and had a FEES first without an NG tube and a second FEES after placement of a small-bore NG tube. Time between FEES was approximately 5 minutes. Patients were tested with thin liquid and puree food consistencies. Occurrence of aspiration for each consistency dependent on the presence or absence of an NG tube was recorded. RESULTS: There were no significant differences (P > .05) in aspiration status for both liquid and puree consistencies in the same person dependent on presence or absence of either a small-bore or large-bore NG tube. CONCLUSIONS: Since objective swallowing evaluation (eg, FEES) can be performed with an NG tube in place, it is not necessary to remove an NG tube to evaluate for aspiration. Similarly, there is no contraindication to leaving an NG tube in place to supplement oral alimentation until nutritional requirements are achieved.

Effect of orogastric tubes on aspiration status and recommendations for oral feeding.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects, if any, of the presence of an orogastric tube on incidence of aspiration and oral diet recommendations. STUDY DESIGN: Case series with planned data collection. SETTING: Large, urban, tertiary care teaching hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Referred sample of 10 consecutively enrolled inpatients (2 pediatric, aged 17 days and 3 months, respectively; and 8 adults, mean age 63 years). An orogastric tube was present for the first videofluoroscopic swallowing study or fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and then removed for the second swallow study. RESULTS: There were no significant differences (P = 1.0) for both overall incidence of aspiration and aspiration by food consistency (liquid or puree) dependent on orogastric tube presence. All 9 participants recommended for an oral diet ate successfully. CONCLUSIONS: An orogastric tube did not affect incidence of aspiration. A videofluoroscopic or endoscopic evaluation of swallowing can be performed with an orogastric tube present, and there is no contraindication to keeping an orogastric tube in place to supplement oral alimentation until prandial nutrition is adequate.

Initiating safe oral feeding in critically ill intensive care and step-down unit patients based on passing a 3-ounce (90 milliliters) water swallow challenge.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary aspiration is a leading cause of nosocomial infection in the intensive care unit (ICU) and step-down unit (SDU). A key goal is to identify patients who exhibit increased aspiration risk before beginning oral alimentation. This study investigated the success of recommending specific oral diets to ICU and SDU patients based on passing a 3-oz water swallow challenge. METHODS: A referral-based sample of 401 ICU and 92 SDU patients were prospectively analyzed. Amount of liquid and food ingested at the next day's meal 12 hours to 24 hours after passing a 3-oz challenge and specific diet recommendations were accessed electronically from oral intake information entered on each participant's daily care sheets. Drinking and eating success, clinically evident aspiration events, and accuracy of diet order recommendations were recorded. Care providers were blinded to the purpose of the study. RESULTS: All 401 ICU and 92 SDU patients were successfully drinking thin liquids and eating 12 hours to 24 hours after passing a 3-oz challenge. Mean volume of liquid ingested at the next day's meal was 360 mL±181.2 mL for ICU and 356.4 mL±173.5 mL for SDU patients. Percent of meal eaten ranged from 10% to 100%. Patient care sheets indicated specific diet recommendations were followed with 100% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Successfully recommending specific oral diets for ICU and SDU patients based on passing a 3-oz water swallow challenge was supported. Importantly, when a simple bedside 3-oz challenge administered by a trained provider is passed, specific diet recommendations can be made safely and confidently without the need for further objective dysphagia testing.

Silent aspiration risk is volume-dependent.

Clinical swallow protocols cannot detect silent aspiration due to absence of overt behavioral signs, but screening with a much larger bolus volume, i.e., 90 cc vs. 1-10 cc, may elicit a reflexive cough in individuals who might otherwise exhibit silent aspiration. A swallow screen that maintains high sensitivity to identify aspiration risk while simultaneously reducing the false-negative rate for silent aspiration would be beneficial. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether silent aspiration risk was volume-dependent by using a 3-oz. (90-cc) water swallow challenge to elicit a reflexive cough when silent aspiration occurred on smaller bolus volumes. A prospective, consecutive, referral-based sample of 4102 inpatients from the acute-care setting of a large urban tertiary-care teaching hospital participated. Silent aspiration was determined first by fiberoptic endoscopy and then each participant was instructed to drink 3 oz. of water completely and without interruption. Criteria for challenge failure were inability to drink the entire amount, stopping and starting, or coughing and choking during or immediately after completion. Improved identification of aspiration risk status occurred for 58% of participants who exhibited silent aspiration on smaller volumes, i.e., an additional 48% of liquid silent aspirators and 65.6% of puree silent aspirators coughed when attempting the 3-oz. water swallow challenge. A low false-negative rate was observed for the entire population sample, i.e., ≤2.0%. A combined false-negative rate for participants who silently aspirated was 6.9%, i.e., 7.8% if silently aspirated liquid and 6.1% if silently aspirated puree consistency. Determination of silent aspiration risk was shown to be volume-dependent, with a larger volume eliciting a reflexive cough in individuals who previously silently aspirated on smaller volumes. A 3-oz. water swallow challenge's previously reported high sensitivity for identification of aspiration risk combined with the newly reported low false-negative rate mitigates the issue of silent aspiration risk during clinical swallow screening.

An epidemiologic study on aging and dysphagia in the acute care hospitalized population: 2000-2007.

OBJECTIVES: To describe total and yearly demographic trends relative to aging, dysphagia referral rates and oral feeding status in hospitalized patients from 2000 through 2007. METHODS: We evaluated a prospective, consecutive, referred sample of 4,038 hospitalized patients in an urban, tertiary, acute care teaching hospital. Dysphagia referral rates are described according to year, age (decade), sex, admitting diagnostic category, results of dysphagia evaluations and oral feeding status. Diagnosis of dysphagia and feeding status were assessed objectively with fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. RESULTS: Dysphagia referral rates doubled between 2000 and 2007, with increases of 20% per year and increases in all decades from 2002 through 2007. Over 70% of dysphagia referrals were for older patients of 60 years and above, and over 42% of these were old old patients over 80 years. Referrals for 80 to 89-year-old patients almost doubled and for patients over 90 years more than tripled between 2000 and 2007. Of older patients over 60 years, 62.3% (1,771/2,843) did not exhibit dysphagia, 18.0% (513/2,843) benefited from specific diet modifications to reduce aspiration risk and 19.7% (559/2,843) were made nil-by-mouth due to severe dysphagia and aspiration. CONCLUSIONS: From 2000 to 2007, dysphagia referrals across all ages increased by 20% each year, with more referrals for older (70.4%) than younger patients (29.6%). Referrals almost doubled for 80 to 89-year-old patients and more than tripled for patients over 90 years. This increase will necessitate additional trained dysphagia specialists at least through 2050 and probably longer.

Answering orientation questions and following single-step verbal commands: effect on aspiration status.

In the acute-care setting patients with altered mental status as a result of such diverse etiologies as stroke, traumatic brain injury, degenerative neurologic impairments, dementia, or alcohol/drug abuse are routinely referred for dysphagia testing. A protocol for dysphagia testing was developed that began with verbal stimuli to determine patient orientation status and ability to follow single-step verbal commands. Although unknown, it would be beneficial to ascertain if this information on mental status was predictive of aspiration risk. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if there was a difference in odds for aspiration based upon correctly answering specific orientation questions, i.e., 1. What is your name? 2. Where are you right now? and 3. What year is it?, and following specific single-step verbal commands, i.e., 1. Open your mouth. 2. Stick out your tongue. and 3. Smile. In a consecutive retrospective manner data from 4070 referred patients accrued between 1 December 1999 and 1 January 2007 were analyzed. The odds of liquid aspiration were 31% greater for patients not oriented to person, place, and time (odds ratio [OR] = 1.305, 95% CI = 1.134-1.501). The odds of liquid aspiration (OR = 1.566, 95% CI = 1.307-1.876), puree aspiration (OR = 1.484, 95% CI = 1.202-1.831), and being deemed unsafe for any oral intake (OR = 1.688, 95% CI = 1.387-2.054) were, respectively, 57, 48, and 69% greater for patients unable to follow single-step verbal commands. Being able to answer orientation questions and follow single-step verbal commands provides information on odds of aspiration for liquid and puree food consistencies as well as overall eating status prior to dysphagia testing. Knowledge of potential increased odds of aspiration allows for individualization of dysphagia testing thereby optimizing swallowing success.