title: Aspiration following stroke: is it related to the side of the stroke?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between the side of stroke and the presence of aspiration on videofluoroscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-seven patients (50% female) admitted with an acute stroke to the University Hospital of South Manchester.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients admitted to the study underwent brain CT scanning and repeated videofluoroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CT scanning was performed within a median three days (interquartile range 2-4 days) following stroke and videofluoroscopic (VF) examination (median 2, interquartile range 1-4 days following stroke) of their swallow. Seventeen (19.5%) patients were noted to be aspirating. There were no significant relationships at this time between side or site of lesion and the presence of aspiration. A second assessment was carried out at a median time of 29 days (interquartile range 26-45) following acute stroke. Nine of 69 (13.5%) patients were noted to be aspirating, seven of whom, had right hemisphere lesions (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Continuing aspiration may be related to the side of the cerebral lesion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Smithard
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: England
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003679:Deglutition; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed