title: [Dysphagia severity scale].
abstract: A simple, broadly applicable, standardized dysphagia severity scale would be useful to standardize dysphagia evaluations, to monitor recovery and efficacy of treatment and to study the consequences of dysphagia. We developed a global Dysphagia Severity Scale (DSS) from videofluorographic swallowing studies which included subjective clinical ratings of functional swallowing. We rated laryngeal penetration/aspiration (P/A) and pharyngeal retention (PR), and then assessed methods for scoring severity of P/A and PR and for combining them in a global scale. Each method was tested by correlation with overall clinical severity ratings. The highest correlations were found by: 1) scoring P/A based on which foods were aspirated (no aspiration or penetration; penetration only; thin liquid aspiration; thick liquid, pudding, or chewed solid food aspiration; 2) scoring PR based on how much food was retained (none; minimal; moderate; severe); and 3) combining P/A and PR by taking the higher of the two scores as the final DSS rating. The final global DSS score and the clinical severity rating correlated well (r = 0.71). This proposed scale shows promise for rating global dysphagia severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerodontology, Division of Gerontology and Gerodontology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
authors.forename: Haruka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tohara
authors.forename: Jeffrey B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Keith V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Kuhlemeier
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palmer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index