Abstract
Dysphagia is a common and disabling symptom in stroke patients, and prediction of prolongation of dysphagia in its acute stage is very important from several standpoints, including selection of the treatment strategy, planning of care, and the QOL of the patients.
We retrospectively analyzed the data of 33 stroke patients in whom videofluoroscopy (VF) had been performed to check for the swallowing function, and investigated the predictive factors for dysphagia after stroke. Of the 33 patients, 25 patients had had ischemic stroke and 8 had had hemorrhagic stroke. Twenty patients (39%) could take their regular meals orally by the 30th hospital day, while 12 patients (36%) developed pneumonia during the first 30 days of hospitalization. Predictive factors of taking regular diet by oral feeding were 1) consciousness level, 2) location of lesions, and 3) severity of dysphagia as assessed by VF. While a predictive factor for pneumonia was advanced age of the patient. Dysarthria was not a predictor of dysphagia.
Comprehensive evaluation of the swallowing function by detailed clinical evaluation and VF should be conducted in acute stroke patients, to enable timely identification and management of dysphagia in these patients.
